Judge murder plot: Frederick Walkuski and Hendrik van Schaik found not guilty of conspiring to murder District Court judges
TWO men have been found not guilty of hatching a jailhouse plot to murder two District Court judges.
TWO men have been found not guilty of hatching a jailhouse plot to murder two District Court judges.
Just before 3pm on Monday, a Supreme Court jury acquitted Frederick Bernard Walkuski, 64, and Hendrik van Schaik, 43, of conspiring to murder married District Court judges Paul Rice and Rosemary Davey.
The jury, which had been deliberating since about 11am on Friday, failed to reach a verdict on charges of conspiring to firebomb the car of a senior police officer.
During the trial, the jury heard the two men had conspired to murder the judges by firebombing their home, and also firebomb the car of Chief Inspector Craig Wall in August last year.
Prosecutor Sandi McDonald SC told the jury Walkuski’s hatred towards Judge Rice started when he sentenced him to 17 years in prison for an undisclosed offence in 2009.
The jury heard Walkuski offered van Schaik $20,000 to firebomb the home of the married judges and allegedly tried to recruit another prisoner, Wayne Buckingham, into his scheme.
Mr Buckingham became the key prosecution witness after notifying police of the plot in May last year.
Giving evidence during the trial, Mr Buckingham said his co-operation with police had earned him a “death sentence”.
In his defence, Walkuski told the jury it was Mr Buckingham who had said he wanted to “get rid of” Judge Rice.
He said that it was Mr Buckingham who recruited van Schaik.