WA a state with big empty holes--AND MEAN EMPTY HEARTS
A DEAF-MUTE man who spent 15 years in jail for a murder he did not commit was yesterday awarded $425,000 by the West Australian government
50 years after he was convicted and banished to Fremantle Prison.
But while the ex gratia payment to Darryl Beamish was intended to show the state's "sincere regret", it instead sparked a public outcry in which the Barnett government was accused of being "mean", "miserly" and an embarrassment.
Mr Beamish, 71, who communicates only through sign language, declined to comment directly, but his lawyer, Michael Dawson, said they were "a little disappointed".
He said his client had not wanted to look greedy and asked for $500,000, which was "a fraction of what he probably deserved".
"So to knock $75,000 off just struck me as being bizarre and really unexplainable," Mr Dawson told The Australian
This amounts to $8,500 per year for 50years, which is approximately the equivalent to paying the dole.
This is not compensation in any one's book, it is meagre and mean in every way.
The government hasn't even felt obligated to apologize for their terrible mistake of keeping him incarcerated for 50 years for no reason.
Previous ex gratia payments.
Andrew Mallard received $3.25 million in 2009 after serving 12 years for a murder he did not commit.
John Button was awarded $460,000 in 2003 after serving 10 years murder he did not commit.
MEAN, MEAN, MEAN!
No comments:
Post a Comment