Derryn Hinch has been found guilty of breaching a court suppression order after publishing tweets and blog entries about Jill Meagher‘s killer, while court proceedings were still underway.
It was alleged that in April of this year during the trial of Adrian Bayley, the man convicted of the rape and murder of ABC radio administrator Jill Meagher, Hinch made reference to Bayley’s previous criminal history on his online blog and twitter which was in comtempt of a supreme court order. This included making note that Bayley was already on bail for another serious charge when he committed the offences relating to Jill Meagher.
During legal trials, a persons previous crimial history is not allowed to be admitted into proceedings, and is usually reserved to help a trial judge in sentencing an offender who recieves a guilty verdict rather than helping the prosecution form its case. Hinch posting such information for public consumption puts at risk this trial principle and as such he was today found guilty by Justice Stephen Kaye in the Victorian Supreme Court.
Hinch insisted throughout his trial, and still insists, that he hasn’t done anything wrong. Outside Court this morning he said: “The thing about this one is I didn’t do it. I know everybody stands on these steps and says the same thing, but I didn’t and it angers me and puzzles me as to why. I just believe that as I’ve said from day one, I was incredulous, I said I’d be made a scapegoat and whipping boy over this. I do have a feeling I’m sick and tired of walking in and out of courts for crimes I’ve supposedly committed, I haven’t robbed a bank, I haven’t stolen money, I haven’t committed any other offences. Anything I’ve ever done I think I’ve tried to do it for the good of the community.”
See our earlier story here.