11 July 2009

Eastman "Tired, Stressed" preparing for murder appeal

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David Eastman has told the ACT Supreme Court he should be moved to a quieter part of the Alexander Maconochie Centre, so he can prepare for another legal fight against his conviction according to the ABC.

    Appearing in the Supreme Court, Eastman says he wants to be moved to one of the prison’s cottages.

    He said the level of noise and disruption in his unit is extremely tiring and stressful and it is interfering with his preparations for an appeal against an earlier judgement not to allow him an inquest into his original conviction.

[ED – Is it really a mad house out there? Or is Eastman once again playing silly buggers with process?]

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Liberator said :

Bible quotes should be accurate. “Thou shalt not bear false witness.” Apologies

Here’s another bible quote that is appropriate here:

“…and they lived happily after”.

Muttsybignuts12:25 pm 23 Oct 09

I blame the hat he always wears. Makes him look dodgy.

It has been reported that David Eastman is preparing another appeal to have his case reviewed.

What if he is actually innocent? What would happen then?

bigred said :

be careful farq in contemplating the ordinariness of the police. It is all the fault of the judiciary. Now repeat afer me, cops = perfection, judiciary = crap.

Ignorance is bliss is it not?

Anna Key

How about Eastman shared with McDougall

Funny how you refer to others as ‘intellectual indigents’ after saying this

“I remain flabergasted that a jury was able to convict him beyond any shadow of a doubt.”

Firstly Eastman was tried and convicted by Judge only, and secondly no jury ever convicts anyone ‘beyond a shadow of a doubt’. It is beyond reasonable doubt. If it was as you ascribe no one would be convicted anywhere of anything.

Better to keep quiet and let people think you are stupid rather than……………….

Justice did prevail champion

Deadmandrinking7:09 pm 28 Aug 09

I agree Berraboy, he needs to be in an institution, or in the care of someone and on medication. It does show, however, how freedoms under our legal system can sometimes disadvantage those with mental illness.

Liberator said :

I think he is innocent because of matters ‘aired’ in the media which had certain police officers proposing an alternative to Mr. Eastman as being responsible for the crime, as well as I am unaware of any evidence ever being presented to the courts linking Mr. Eastman to the crime.
The type of investigation carried on by some police officers was not impartial, and appears to have had an underlying agenda. Get some person to attest to something that could be purported as Mr. Eastman possibly being connected to an element of the investigation. These days, you might call it a C.I.A type of investigation. Criminals Incorporated America.
I remain flabergasted that a jury was able to convict him beyond any shadow of a doubt. Clearly to me, not only were corrupt police involoved in prosecuting the matter, I suspect there must have been corruption in the jury process. It would be interesting to hear what each of the jurors has to say about the matter, and even though it is against the Law, find out on what grounds that they found Mr. Eastman guilty.
With respect to Mr. Eastman’s state of mind, I am not aware that other than Mr. Eastman himself claiming he was not fit to enter a plea in the matter, no other ruling has listed him as mentally incompetant. Thus, the defamatory remarks made about a persons character are probably a contravention of the rules governing posts on “the riot act”.
And besides, are those inferences of a medical nature.
If Mr. Eastman is innocent of the charges brought against him, and I believe he is, then the slanderous inuendo made against him is a reflection of the intellectual capacity of those making those remarks.
Because I am prohibited under the rules for lodging posts, I am unable to call them ‘scumbag liars’, but must constrain myself to terms like ‘intellectual indigents’.
May justice prevail!

Just because you don’t like the argument, doesn’t mean you have to attack the person making it, liberator. That sounds a lot like Eastman’s own behavior in past years. The guy may well be innocent (I have my doubts about one or two things that happened during the investigation) but he certainly did everything possible to make himself out to be at best loopy or at worst unpredictable and dangerous.

I think he’s mentally ill and best kept somewhere where he can be monitored. I know of occasions before Winchester’s murder where he tried to beat up a union official trying to help him, he walked inside Immigration trying to set fire to garbage cans and also barged into a CSIRO senior mangers office one day, ripped open filing cabinets throwing papers around while demanding the return of ‘his’ work. Not entirely the actions of a well adjusted or ‘safe’ individual.

Hells_Bells7412:35 pm 28 Aug 09

I have said a dozen things and deleted them.

All I can say in the end is well said Liberator and I have found myself thinking like that too.

I think he is innocent because of matters ‘aired’ in the media which had certain police officers proposing an alternative to Mr. Eastman as being responsible for the crime, as well as I am unaware of any evidence ever being presented to the courts linking Mr. Eastman to the crime.
The type of investigation carried on by some police officers was not impartial, and appears to have had an underlying agenda. Get some person to attest to something that could be purported as Mr. Eastman possibly being connected to an element of the investigation. These days, you might call it a C.I.A type of investigation. Criminals Incorporated America.
I remain flabergasted that a jury was able to convict him beyond any shadow of a doubt. Clearly to me, not only were corrupt police involoved in prosecuting the matter, I suspect there must have been corruption in the jury process. It would be interesting to hear what each of the jurors has to say about the matter, and even though it is against the Law, find out on what grounds that they found Mr. Eastman guilty.
With respect to Mr. Eastman’s state of mind, I am not aware that other than Mr. Eastman himself claiming he was not fit to enter a plea in the matter, no other ruling has listed him as mentally incompetant. Thus, the defamatory remarks made about a persons character are probably a contravention of the rules governing posts on “the riot act”.
And besides, are those inferences of a medical nature.
If Mr. Eastman is innocent of the charges brought against him, and I believe he is, then the slanderous inuendo made against him is a reflection of the intellectual capacity of those making those remarks.
Because I am prohibited under the rules for lodging posts, I am unable to call them ‘scumbag liars’, but must constrain myself to terms like ‘intellectual indigents’.
May justice prevail!

I think that he may be innocent as ther were a lot of dodgy cops around then, however i also think that he is nuttier than a chockito

Bible quotes should be accurate. “Thou shalt not bear false witness.” Apologies

Clearly the ‘character assassination’ of Mr. Eastman has been successfully instilled in some peoples minds. If you were being ‘stitched up’ for an assassination (murder) you were not guilty of committing, your stress levels would probably have you spit the dummy occassionally, particularly if lies were being told about you in court.
I believe that the survey has insufficient options. Organised crime, yes. Italian hit-man, yes. Conspiracy by crooked cops, yes.
Colin Winchester was a good cop concerned about entrapment activities on the force. I believe that there are sufficient annomalies in the case against Mr. Eastman that infer that he was incorrectly convicted.
Remember Lindy Chamberlin. Not a contrivance as such, just incompetance. The credibility of our judicial system would be tarnished if Mr. Eastman is successful in his appeal. And he would be entitled to compensation under a variety of Legislation.
Again, how would you react to being ‘stitched up’ for a serious matter such as this?
Life in prison with no parole. That certainly puts an end to the matter, almost.
May God be with you Mr. Eastman with your appeal, if you are innocent. Thou shalt no bear false witness. You could find yourself in Hell.

Madame Workalot8:34 am 13 Jul 09

Gee Farq and Bigred, you two should start your own supersquad! Saving the innocent people from the corrupt and cruel coppers….

Admission: 20 years ago I met Eastman. He was on bail. He seemed nice enough. On the other hand I was told by a relative of a then worker in the DPP that he was feared in the DPP due to threats made. Was he mentally ill? Why would any sane man fire his defence attorneys unless they just could not give a shite helping in their eyes, a gulty man?

bigred said :

Farq, in my experience coppers think in terms of black and white.

don’t have to tell me that. you are preaching to the converted. they are people after all, and people have to sleep at night. in my humble opinion, for cops the difficult questions (like the actions of their own organisation) are best looked at in monochrome.

bigred said :

I doubt the questions will ever be answered.

never say never. we can live in hope.

canberra is well educated, the morbid side of us will be still wanting answers to this murder long after all the active participants are dead and gone, even decades from now.

this is one local case that the infamy of, and curiosity about will live on long after all of us.

we should settle it once and for all, now.

a full and open inquiry now while the outcome can have a meaningful outcome is the answer. the afp will never initiate anything in the eastman’s lifetime (god forbid it casts doubt on the case).

this murder deserves a well researched book. it would make a good topic for a journalist with not enough work (and no future in canberra).

Farq, in my experience coppers think in terms of black and white. They do not understand the ambiguous. It is their culture. I doubt the questions will ever be answered.

bigred said :

I suspect not even Eastman knows if he did it.

having some experience with mentally ill people, i can totally agree with your above statement.

i kind if enjoy how, with all the questions in the air over all these years those in the afp act like it his conviction is a 100% certainty. the alternative is just to horrible for them to consider.

Farq, while reasonable members of the community are uneasy about the matter the reliability of the justice system is under a cloud. I suspect not even Eastman knows if he did it.

if there are so many questions, why no retrial or some kind of commission (royal or otherwise, I’m no lawyer). why leave it in eastman’s nutty hands? if for no other reason than to defend the afp’s public credibility?

i read the page off the afp’s site (http://www.afp.gov.au/about/publications/platypus_magazine/platypus_magazine_previous_editions/1999/october_1999/murder.html).

it covers the prosecution’s case, but the closest it gets to covering what people have been saying is:

“To successfully prosecute a circumstantial case against the width of public allegations and innuendo which related to the Winchester killing was, I believe, quite exceptional” (I believe that is codeword for saying ‘people have been saying we are corrupt’).

sounds like they were lucky eastman defended himself.

what if the wildest claims are true (stuff that sounds like it belongs in a episode of underbelly), then someone who is actually capable of killing someone is out there and people covered for them (and some innocent mentally ill person is wearing it).

also, how does one shot someone at point blank range with a rifle? whoever did it must be a ninja or something (i’ve shot a few rabits, but I’m no weapons expert).

farq, I normally don’t indulge in the Krispy Kremes cracks either, usually I spot the objects of those cracks in maccas.

On Eastman matter, I have refrained from making any comment either way about Winchester. I did not reside in Canberra at the time of the murder but was here when Eastman was arrested and tried and convicted. I remain uncomfortable with the conviction from what I have read and heard of the matter. There are a number of people around this town who are legally qualified who have closely watched the matter unfold and who are also uncomfortable. There have been mentions of the matter in a number of crime books etc, but nothing definitive has been published as far as I can tell.

Eastman may or may not be guilty. Eastman is 100% nutter though. Hope he is reading.

bigred, you know I reckon the donut jokes are a little too north american. I prefer jokes about sunglasses in overcast conditions. that and speaking in “m.o.n.o.t.o.n.e”. shit that actually happens in this town (when was the last time you actually saw a cop eating a donut? let alone in a donut store?).

but seriously, I know f-all about this case except lots of people either seem to think they do and say it was a dodgy conviction (been hearing that from people for over a decade) or had weird contact with him as public servants and say he was just a nutter.

i’d like to think it’s case closed, but lots of people say otherwise. experience has taught me not to take the police line as gospel (sorry pro-crowd).

lots of shit gets thrown around about the issues, the worst thing is I assume that winchester has family still living in this town and I don’t think it’s fair to say some of the things about him I have heard (not like he can defend himself).

i’d like to know more about the case. anyone got a well researched book or something they can recommend?

farq, you will be sure to be safe if you pop over to Krispy Kremes, anytime, anyday. Wonder what time the next shift starts?

Deadmandrinking6:33 pm 12 Jul 09

Did you know Higgins was responsible for holocaust?

bigred said :

be careful farq in contemplating the ordinariness of the police. It is all the fault of the judiciary. Now repeat afer me, cops = perfection, judiciary = crap.

ah yes. just as we are told, repeatedly.

I should blend in a little… damn that higgins. rah rah, rabble rabble. What is on today tonight tomorrow?

be careful farq in contemplating the ordinariness of the police. It is all the fault of the judiciary. Now repeat afer me, cops = perfection, judiciary = crap.

bigred said :

Be careful what you say about Eastman now that he is in town and has access to the internet at his new lodgings. After all he is such a nutter he may even start writing (rambling?) here…

Can’t wait…

Still, if the evidence is so dodgy what does that say about our police/judiciary?

Not good enough just to lock him up because he is crazy. Can he help it if he is just nutty? Maybe we need to have a decent nut house instead of using the prison as such.

Be careful what you say about Eastman now that he is in town and has access to the internet at his new lodgings. After all he is such a nutter he may even start writing (rambling?) here. Hope he doesn’t “drop the soap in the shower” in his new abode.

Deadmandrinking10:52 am 12 Jul 09

If he did not shoot Colin Winchester, he does not deserve to be in prison. From the sounds of things, his trial was a bit iffy, and there is speculation that the commissioner may have had his hands in some rather dirty business with some rather shadowy characters. Of course, avid Eastman might have snapped and shot him…regardless though, he has the right to appeal.

Also, considering his behavior, should he not be permanently in a mental hospital, instead of prison? Putting mentally ill people in prison is never a smart thing.

Sunshine I think the Hyatt group is owned by someone with so much money that they could hire a battalion of lawyers to beat Eastman.

Dunno why the ACT gov’t doesn’t pay a lifer’s family to have the lifer remove Eastman permanently. Would save a lot of money.

How about he shares with Mr Massey?

He sues anything that’s not nailed down. This site might shortly be receiving writs.

farnarkler said :

I’m sure the ACT gov’t will rent a suite at the Hyatt or The Realm so david can relax whilst preparing for his appeal.

I doubt he did shoot Winchester but he’s nutty enough that the judiciary will make sure he never leaves jail alive.

phew!! wouldn’t want him suing the ACT for post traumatic stress syndrome. lucky hyatt

pptvb said :

Diddums.

d’oh, beat me to it. anyway, eastman should be incarcerated for that hat he continuously effects, buggered if he shouldn’t…

I’m sure the ACT gov’t will rent a suite at the Hyatt or The Realm so david can relax whilst preparing for his appeal.

I doubt he did shoot Winchester but he’s nutty enough that the judiciary will make sure he never leaves jail alive.

NickD said :

It’s safe to assume that he’s playing silly buggers.

Yep. I had it on impeccable authority that, when he was in remand before being found guilty of the murder, he managed to turn the population AND the staff against him. The stories of what merry japes they played upon him were rather amusing.

Clown Killer9:25 pm 11 Jul 09

Oh come on! Imagine the beautiful irony – a paranoid nut-case convinced that they’re being stitched-up, being stitched-up.

You can’t script some of this stuff: An off-duty cop who was involved in a previous and unrelated search of Eastman’s house decides to stop on the side of the road for a pee and finds a gun bag the same as the one that came with the murder weapon that also just happens to contain an empty bottle of medicine with Eastman’s name on the label.

It doesn’t get any better than this.

No way its a stitch up. If it was you would have far more people crying out for a re trial as it is you only have the Elvis crack pots and moon landing denialists among other inflictions.

Clown Killer9:03 pm 11 Jul 09

I love Eastman. But then again I love stitch ups.

monomania said :

Probably Kostka Chute preying to loudly in the next cell.

Preying or praying? Or both?

sharing a cottage with Eastman! no way…..he’d drive everyone out so that he had a house all to himself. Hope they leave him where he is and don’t give in to his demands.

mother of many7:12 pm 11 Jul 09

For Pete’s sake!

Is he asking himself WHY he is in “the special disciplinary unit”, by any chance??

Or perhaps considering behaving in a reasonable manner, so as to go back to a quieter unit?

For god sake. If he’s moved to softer lodgings over this I’ll have to think about leaving Canberra. This is rediculous.

Sharing a “cottage” with Eastman could be considered “harsh and cruel” punishment for the othr inmates.

Bring back the death penalty, this toss deserves it.

barking toad5:24 pm 11 Jul 09

The mayor’s human rights motel is the perfect environment for Eastman in his manic quest to create havoc.

This is just the start.

Rot in hell David

Pandy asks: So he is buggered?

Quite probably since he’s been in jail for 14 years.

So he is buggered?

Eastman is deadset mad and society is probably better off for him being in the slammer for years. However, having sat through almost all of his trial, I believe he should never have been convicted on the evidence presented. Had he mountd a proper defence (ie; allowed cross-examination of certain key witness and refrained from sacking his legal team at every opportunity)he might not be in the position he’s currently in. Sometimes fools have to be protected from themselves.

Probably Kostka Chute preying to loudly in the next cell.

I cant believe this matter is before the court.

He makes a valid point that combining difficult prisoners and vulnerable prisoners needing protection in one spot is problematic.

The cottages require 5 prisoners to share like a share house. I imagine Eastman could find sharing difficult.

Heaven forbid prison should INCONVENIENCE the convicted killer of a Police boss! He is no doubt playing silly buggers with the process. That, and the cottages are 4.5 star accommodation compared to the 3 star regular cells.

Eastman and the term silly buggers go together no matter what the context.

Lets hope Higgins doesn’t preside on this one………………..

It’s safe to assume that he’s playing silly buggers.

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