Wilson did not accept the defense lawyers’ argument that Helen White had been motivated to report him to police by a reward. Johnson must have been terrified, aware that he would strike the rocks below and conscious of his fate,” Wilson added. “In those seconds when he must have realized what was happening to him, Dr. Johnson, causing him to stumble backwards and leave the cliff edge,” Wilson said.
Wilson said it was not possible to draw any conclusions beyond a reasonable doubt about what had happened at the clifftop. Scott White told police that he was himself gay and frightened that his homophobic brother would find out. She told the court on Monday that her husband had told her Johnson had run off the cliff. White’s former wife Helen White told police in 2019 that her then-husband had bragged about beating gay men and had said the only good gay man was a dead gay man. White was 18 and homeless when he met 27-year-old Los Angeles-born Johnson at a bar in suburban Manly in December 1988 and went with him to a nearby cliff top at North Head. He must serve at least eight years and three months in prison before he can be considered for parole. She also said she applied more lenient sentencing patterns in place in New South Wales state in the late 1980s. Justice Helen Wilson said she did not find beyond reasonable doubt that the murder was a gay hate crime, an aggravating factor that would have led to a longer sentence. Scott White, 51, pleaded guilty in January and could have been sentenced to up to life in prison. A coroner in 2017 found a number of assaults, some fatal, where the victims had been targeted because they were thought to be gay. The death of mathematician Scott Johnson was initially called a suicide, but his family pressed for further investigation.
Great money making business in USA.CANBERRA, Australia (AP) - An Australian man was sentenced to 12 years and seven months in prison Tuesday for the 1988 murder of an American who fell off a Sydney cliff that was known as a gay meeting place. No civilized Nation would incarcerate anyone for this demeanor! 16 years in Prison is hardly a sentence for murder in a civilized world Country! Privatized US Prisons must need more prisoners than ca. Mayfield attempted to downplay his crime as a “prank,” while his lawyer suggested that it was a “drunk mistake.” The court ruled that his actions constituted “felony arson as a hate crime.” In 2016, Cameron Mayfield of Omaha was given two years’ probation for burning an LGBT flag he wrestled from a lesbian couple in the street. Martinez claimed that he committed the deed because he “opposed homosexuality,” and that “even non-believers will agree” with his action.Īccording to Story County attorney Jessica Reynolds, Martinez is the first person in the county’s history to be convicted of a hate crime. It’s a blessing from the Lord,” Martinez said shortly after his arrest, according to the BBC. Martinez admitted to police that he burned the banner with lighter fluid and a lighter, after stealing the flag from the church, according to the Des Moines Register.Īccording to the police, Martinez admitted that he stole a gay pride banner hanging at Ames United Church of Christ, 217 6th St., and burned it early June 11 outside Dangerous Curves Gentleman’s Club, 111 5th St. The man claimed he had “God on his side” and that “non-believers” would agree with him.Īdolfo Martinez, 30, was sentenced to one year on a charge of reckless use of fire, 30 days for harassment and a whopping 15 years for committing a hate crime. The man was arrested almost immediately after his demarche, claiming he would not fight the charges in court. A man from Ames, Iowa, was sentenced to 16 years in prison for stealing an LGBT flag from a local church and subsequently burning it, next to a local gay club.