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Gene Gibson gets $1.3m payment after wrongful conviction over Josh Warneke's Broome death
ABC News
BY JACOB KAGI
UPDATED 8 MINUTES AGO [as at 16:54 AEST 18 April 2018]
The man who spent nearly five years in prison after being wrongfully convicted over the death of Joshua Warneke has been awarded a $1.3 million ex-gratia payment by the WA Government.
Attorney-General John Quigley confirmed Gene Gibson would receive the payment after a flawed police investigation over the incident in the Kimberley town of Broome led to his conviction.
The $1.3 million ex-gratia payment will be put into the hands of the public trustee, with an extra $200,000 to be included for expected fees.
Mr Quigley said the Government was sorry for what happened to Mr Gibson.
"I want to extend my personal apology and the Government's apology for the terrible suffering he had to endure for four years and eight months in prison," Mr Quigley said.
Mr Quigley said the agreement would not prohibit Mr Gibson from seeking further compensation through the courts."
Mr Gibson's representatives had initially applied for an ex-gratia payment of $2.5 million.
However, Mr Quigley said the amount awarded was adequate.
"We have dispersed what we believe to be a fair amount to Mr Gibson," he said.
"I have a responsibility to the taxpayers to make sure that the compensation is rationally and justly arrived at and I feel comfortable that we've done that.
"After taking advice from the Crown Counsel for Western Australia I have gone just past what he put at the top end of that."
The lawyer representing Mr Gibson welcomed the payment, even though it was not as large as he had hoped.
"The payment cannot extinguish the wrong, but it can give Gene the chance to make up for some of what he has lost," Mr Lundberg said.
"While the end has still not been reached for Joshua Warneke's family, it has for Gene and his family.
"From here on, Gene would like to get on with his life."
Mr Warneke's death remains unsolved.
To read more click on the headline (above).
ABC News
BY JACOB KAGI
UPDATED 8 MINUTES AGO [as at 16:54 AEST 18 April 2018]
The man who spent nearly five years in prison after being wrongfully convicted over the death of Joshua Warneke has been awarded a $1.3 million ex-gratia payment by the WA Government.
Attorney-General John Quigley confirmed Gene Gibson would receive the payment after a flawed police investigation over the incident in the Kimberley town of Broome led to his conviction.
The $1.3 million ex-gratia payment will be put into the hands of the public trustee, with an extra $200,000 to be included for expected fees.
Mr Quigley said the Government was sorry for what happened to Mr Gibson.
"I want to extend my personal apology and the Government's apology for the terrible suffering he had to endure for four years and eight months in prison," Mr Quigley said.
Mr Quigley said the agreement would not prohibit Mr Gibson from seeking further compensation through the courts."
Mr Gibson's representatives had initially applied for an ex-gratia payment of $2.5 million.
However, Mr Quigley said the amount awarded was adequate.
"We have dispersed what we believe to be a fair amount to Mr Gibson," he said.
"I have a responsibility to the taxpayers to make sure that the compensation is rationally and justly arrived at and I feel comfortable that we've done that.
"After taking advice from the Crown Counsel for Western Australia I have gone just past what he put at the top end of that."
The lawyer representing Mr Gibson welcomed the payment, even though it was not as large as he had hoped.
"The payment cannot extinguish the wrong, but it can give Gene the chance to make up for some of what he has lost," Mr Lundberg said.
"While the end has still not been reached for Joshua Warneke's family, it has for Gene and his family.
"From here on, Gene would like to get on with his life."
Mr Warneke's death remains unsolved.
To read more click on the headline (above).
