28 May 2009

David Eastman comes home

| johnboy
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The ABC informs us that one of Canberra’s loopier, more colourful convicted killers has come home to Canberra at the Alexander Maconochie Centre.

With his 1995 sentence of life imprisonment without parole for the murder of the Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Colin Winchester (those were the days in the ACT Judiciary) one can only hope he likes it there.

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I say throw Eastman in a cell with McDougall!

Oh I have just read up on Eastman, if the newspapers are correct, it appears he did have a grievance with the police commissioner, I knew someone that worked with Eastman and they said, he was a real nutter.

I’ve never understood how he got to such high levels in the APS if he is such a nutbag.

Yo’d be suprised at the number of unsuitable people in reasonably high levels. They get the job done, but they destroy staff and anyone who gets in their way. The bottom line is, they get the job doneand people are afraid of them.

And there are yet others who are incompetent but rise to the top because they are so far up the bosses backside it makes no difference how bad they are. I’d also wager Eastman is of an earlier vintage (70’s and 80’s) in the APS where all you had to do to get promoted was stay int eh one place long enough. There are loads of this type still around and thankfully, they are starting to retire after holding the same high-level jobs now for 20 years. Eastman was also the type to threaten, and be violent with, others if he didn’t get his own way. My dad had to deal with him physically once or twice in a Union capacity.

BTW: this type of cretin is still alive and well in the APS. I know of an entire APS organisation that is under threat due to a culture of rorting the system i.e. stealing flex etc.) and one of the bosses had a call from the husband of one women telling him he’s ‘gone’ if his wife gets sacked.

I may be ignorant, as I haven’t read up about Eastman but what he gain from murdering Winchester?

Deadmandrinking7:12 pm 28 Aug 09

But kept off the streets in care, not in prison, Berra-boy.

Interesting, but rediculous and out of context, argument. But hey, thanks for ‘strangely’ raising the racism card. Can I now point out that Eastman is best locked up whether he’s guilty or not? He’s been found guilty in court but I too have doubts about his guilt. That said, but his behavior even years before being found guilty of murder paint him as a very dangerous, mentally ill person who is best kept off the streets.

Remember, if he is innocent… …(perhaps inappropriate)… …If he is innocent of the crimes for which he has been convicted….

Of course if none of your conjecture is true, then your post is worthless.

If he is innocent of the crimes for which he has been convicted, any ’screws’ imposing ’special treatment’ to him because they thought he was guilty of being a ‘cop killer’ are little better than those that framed Mr. Eastman in the first case.

Are you suggesting that if he is actually guilty, then the ‘screws’ can beat him all they want? Who lets them know which are the guilty inmates, and which have been fitted up in a conspiracy involving the police (but not the dead boss), the prosecution, and every level of court in the ACT?

Liberator, are Eastman posting from the AMC?

Jim Jones post 5 posted a quote allegedly from Crikey.

NSW Corrective Services Commissioner Ron Woodham gave an unusually frank assessment of Eastman’s transfer to the ACT saying: “Good riddance?—?we can’t wait to get rid of the arseh-le.”

I suspect any ‘screw’ who thinks an inmate is a ‘cop-killer’ is likely to treat the same with ‘special attention’, particularly if they have been instilled with the character assassination which saw Mr. Eastman convicted.

If I was found guilty of a serious crime I did not commit, I would exhaust every avenue available as well. Remember, if he is innocent, there are still the conspirators of the assassination (guilty of conspiracy to, and accessory to murder) still trying to maintain the character assassination of Mr. Eastman.

NSW Corrective Services Commissioner Ron Woodham’s comment suggest to me he is just a high ranking ‘red-neck’ screw who objected to having the (perhaps inappropriate) conduct of prison officers under his watch being complained about. I wonder if Mr. Eastman is treated with appropriate equity whilst he is in the ‘slammer’.

If he is innocent of the crimes for which he has been convicted, any ‘screws’ imposing ‘special treatment’ to him because they thought he was guilty of being a ‘cop killer’ are little better than those that framed Mr. Eastman in the first case.

Red necks rule! Life can ‘suck’ at times. Ask the aboriginies. English trash and the likes of them are one of the greatest scourges on the planet, in my opinion.

Just arrived at ‘the riot act’, so this is not exactly current, but the issue is.
shauno (if you are about)
“If you look at the evidence he is definitely guilty.”

Which evidence are you referring to bro’?

Deadmandrinking7:52 pm 29 May 09

SpideyDog, no-one said the entire afp is in on a big conspiracy. What they are saying is that Eastman’s conviction was suspect and there is a possibility of a cover-up at high levels due to connections with Griffith and Melbourne Mafia figures.

You need to accept that:

(1) Corruption has and does exist in all walks of life.

(2) The Police aren’t always right.

(3) The courts aren’t always right.

(4) Being crazy doesn’t make you a killer.

(5) Being naive makes you look silly.

So stop being so innocent! gah!

I-filed said :

Spideydog said :

Yes the police would go and knowingly prosecute “the wrong man” of killing one of their own ???

Ahh, it all makes sense now !!??

Think a little further Spideydog. The police have factions, it’s not an amorphous whole.

Oh c’mon. Are we honestly trying to say the WHOLE of ACT Police were in on the “conspiracy” With such a high profile case, one would think that EVERYONE would have been keeping a close eye on this one, not just one of the “factions”. If there was anything untoward, it would have been noticed.

I personally find it very hard to believe to be a conspiracy.

Spideydog said :

Yes the police would go and knowingly prosecute “the wrong man” of killing one of their own ???

Ahh, it all makes sense now !!??

Think a little further Spideydog. The police have factions, it’s not an amorphous whole.

Man I shudder to think what odds Sportingbet could’ve laid me on a Matt Giteau/David Eastman returning home for the 2010 season double..?!

I still have my doubts of him being the actual guilty party.

Me too after doing extensive research for a book I am writing (not particularly about the case or anything) I have doubts too. Several news items that I saw were quite intriguing.

I don’t want to be rude but I can’t imagine the book will be worth reading if you are intrigued by “News” stories that make you question his guilt.

Take a look at VG’s comments again.

mutley said :

No, one I encountered had serious issues with milk.

Milk’s a issue worth getting all angsty about!

Did they go out on stress leave shortly afterwards?

No, one I encountered had serious issues with milk.

mutley said :

I’ve never understood how he got to such high levels in the APS if he is such a nutbag.

There’s plenty of people with serious anger issues at high level in the APS

Do they all have issues with not having access to hot meals and hair-dryers too?

Put him in a cage in the zoo so we can go and laugh at him.

Without being too specific, his progression through the ranks was rapid and regular during his early years (as a star graduate), and, strikingly, in the same department.

I think that his increasingly aggressive behaviour is marked by when he started to get his promotions into different departments. From then on, each promotion was to a different department.

Many people in Canberra have stories of him hitting people and other physcial assaults, at work. That it wasn’t dealt-with more sternly is a disgrace. His favourite targets were women.

I’ve never understood how he got to such high levels in the APS if he is such a nutbag.

There’s plenty of people with serious anger issues at high level in the APS

Clown Killer said :

Eastman is indeed a wierd chap. I doubt that prison has done much to improve that, but in the absence of a death penalty what do we do with people like him?

not giving him access to the the internet would be a good start…

I’ve never understood how he got to such high levels in the APS if he is such a nutbag.

At what age did he start to go wierd I wonder.

Clown Killer9:55 am 29 May 09

Eastman is indeed a wierd chap. I doubt that prison has done much to improve that, but in the absence of a death penalty what do we do with people like him?

He was certainly capable of it. He was a very intelligent man, still is, but his descent into mental illness is only disputed by himself. He was the dux of Boys’ Grammar, and shot up through the APS at some speed, a real star. But his anger and aggression grew until he was inflicting physical harm on people on a very regular basis. However, his intelligence enabled him to largely escape the usual punishment we have for such activity.

Strangely I actually meant to say “I” but “U” works too…

I-filed said :

PBO said :

I still have my doubts of him being the actual guilty party.

I agree. Who would trust the police of the shooting death of one of their own?

The Federal Police were hand-in-glove with the Griffith drug growers at the time – e.g. they’ve known who killed Donald McKay all this time and never touched the killer as he was highly connected. I seem to recall there was a Griffith connection among the other suspects in the Eastman case. Does anyone know the detail?

Haven’t you seen Underbelly? U blame eveything on the Victorian painters and dockers and all Kiwis.

nota said :

Deadmandrinking said :

He’s a top-class patsy.

Agreed.

Btw who else remembers those ‘rumours’ about bulk marijuana ‘evidence’ being evacuated from the Winchester residence?

I recall that and I also recall Winchester having something to do with a few large plantations in QBN and out the back of the Airport. Very sus. But back to the point, although he is nuttier than a chockito, I dont think that he was the one that pulled the trigger.

vg said :

bigred said :

I am entirely convinced Eastman is one of the greatest nutters to ever walk the streets of this town. The very mention of him brings terror to people who ever had a dealing with him. Nutter!

… but the questions about his guilt persist.

Not to people who know the case they don’t!

Care to expand on that a bit more VG?

he certainly needs to be locked up somewhere, if only for that hat…

Deadmandrinking said :

He’s a top-class patsy.

Agreed.

Btw who else remembers those ‘rumours’ about bulk marijuana ‘evidence’ being evacuated from the Winchester residence?

But not a nutter as in derogatory term for one with a psychiatric illness, I trust. Nutter as in sane person who is a complete arsehole and career criminal to boot. Yes?

If you look at the evidence he is definitely guilty. It was interesting because Winchester was involved with the sanctioned dope crops around Bungendore so you could come to some conclusion that he was murdered for other reasons but they wouldn’t be right. Eastman is a nutter and completely capable of this crime.

Yes the police would go and knowingly prosecute “the wrong man” of killing one of their own ???

Ahh, it all makes sense now !!??

PBO said :

I still have my doubts of him being the actual guilty party.

I agree. Who would trust the police of the shooting death of one of their own?

The Federal Police were hand-in-glove with the Griffith drug growers at the time – e.g. they’ve known who killed Donald McKay all this time and never touched the killer as he was highly connected. I seem to recall there was a Griffith connection among the other suspects in the Eastman case. Does anyone know the detail?

Mike Crowther10:56 pm 28 May 09

Well Jack Waterford (at least in print) seems to think the sun shines out of David Harold’s arse. I’m waiting to see him avail himself of the endless appeal process that will underscore the AMC regime.

Andy Pandy, I hope he is pacing backwards and forward in his new cell with fists clenched over the comments appearing here. Can’t wait for his rants to appear here.

I thought he had exhausted his avenues of appeal. Years ago I had dealings with him and my experience was no different to others descibed here.

To quote Monty Python – “Nail him upside down I say, nail him upside down.”

bigred said :

I am entirely convinced Eastman is one of the greatest nutters to ever walk the streets of this town. The very mention of him brings terror to people who ever had a dealing with him. Nutter!

… but the questions about his guilt persist.

Not to people who know the case they don’t!

I guess it at least cuts down on the costs of transporting him to and from court when he lodges his next appeal.

I stated it above. I hope he is reading this as well. Do you have some kind of problem with what I said?

so what would you use to describe him then andy pandy? Hope he is reading this!

the term nutter doesn’t do him justice he is a truly dangerous person who should never be allowed in society again. I had dealings with him as an young-mid teen, due to my fathers then position in the federal gov. and his habit of randomly calling anyone he thought had influence in his cause and making threats through their children. He was certainly capable of what he was convicted of and a lot more.

I am entirely convinced Eastman is one of the greatest nutters to ever walk the streets of this town. The very mention of him brings terror to people who ever had a dealing with him. Nutter!

… but the questions about his guilt persist.

Deadmandrinking5:35 pm 28 May 09

He’s a top-class patsy.

barking toad said :

With our mayor inspired human rights motel with internet access he’ll be on RA soon.

It will be a matter of working out which nutter personality he uses from one day to the next.

sounds like a new game we can all play…

bah, left out a “more than” and and “only” when talking about Eastman.

Should read…
David Eastman: Although apparently more than just a bit strange, is still only a convicted murderer with a tendency to tilt at windmills.

barking toad4:09 pm 28 May 09

With our mayor inspired human rights motel with internet access he’ll be on RA soon.

It will be a matter of working out which nutter personality he uses from one day to the next.

When Eastman was taken into custody for the Winchester matter, he had something like 300 separate charges pending against him for various court-able offences, such as alleged assault. One of those charges was lodged by teh manager of teh office I worked in, after Eastman attacked him and bashed him (I saw it).

When one of teh staff called teh police, the officers who attended both had black hats on, and both knew him. As they took him away, he snarled at the woman who’d phoned police (who was heavily pregnant) “I’ll get you later you (insult)”. As he was the prime suspect in the Winchester case at that time, it was not a pleasant threat to have made and she collapsed in tears and shock a short time later.

This was the kind of thing Eastman spent his days doing.

He probably didn’t commit the murder he was convicted of, and I don’t care.

BTW, it’s been reported that his bestest friend in gaol is none other than one Ivan Milat.

if he is loopy, shouldn’t he be in a mental health facility (if we had any)?

Just as ‘better’ is not ‘good’ (one is a comparitive adjective for relative concepts, the other is a definite adjective), ‘loopier’ is not ‘loopy’.

Glen Porritt: Subject of an involuntary mental health order (in the eyes of the law, sufficiently mentally disturbed to just be convicted of criminal negligence, instead of a convicted murderer)
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24141664-5006009,00.html

David Eastman: Although apparently just a bit strange, is still a convicted murderer with a tendency to tilt at windmills.

How the Police tell the story on their website
Eastman’s Last Gasp
Eastman Beats a Dead Horse

From Crikey:

Eastman is regarded by prison officers as the most difficult inmate in custody in NSW and news of his transfer generated such elation they even thought of forming a guard of honor to say goodbye.

Since his conviction 14 years ago, Eastman has constantly complained about his treatment. He has filed an avalanche of complaints accusing officers of assault, physical and verbal abuse and improper treatment. Officers in the maximum security area at Goulburn Jail frequently become so distressed during the time they are rostered to supervise Eastman that they need time off to recover.

NSW Corrective Services Commissioner Ron Woodham gave an unusually frank assessment of Eastman’s transfer to the ACT saying: “Good riddance?—?we can’t wait to get rid of the arseh-le.”

By all accounts, the guy is a complete nutsack. I used to date a girl who he was semi-stalking, she swears that he was a stark raving loony.

If he’s not guilty of this, then he’s guilty of being a major serial pest. Either way, we’re better off without him amongst us.

barking toad3:35 pm 28 May 09

We don”t have loony bins anymore. They were all closed and the inhabitants released into society and end up clogging up the health system or gaols.

Gaol is the appropriate place for Eastman.

Unfortunately, the system at our new motel will suit his tactics.

I still have my doubts of him being the actual guilty party.

if he is loopy, shouldn’t he be in a mental health facility (if we had any)?

sending him to prison as punishment is sort of like punishing the sick for being sick.

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