Wrongfully convicted of murder, Henry Keogh breaks silence
WRONGFULLY convicted of murder, Henry Keogh says he feels for the family of his former fiancee but they seem “incapable” of accepting he did not murder her.
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WRONGFULLY convicted of murder, Henry Keogh says the family of his former fiancee “seem incapable” of accepting that he did not murder her.
In a statement to the media after he received a $2.57 million compensation payment for spending 21 years in jail, Mr Keogh said the former government “deliberately disregarded” many opportunities to have his conviction for murdering Anna-Jane Cheney overturned.
In response to a statement from the Cheney family, as revealed exclusively by The Advertiser, Mr Keogh said he feels for the Cheney family and their loss.
“They are entitled to take what ever action they choose,” he said.
“I always hoped they would find solace in the fact that their beloved daughter had not been murdered by the man she loved. Unfortunately they seem incapable of accepting the truth.”
“No one would want to go through what I have endured but Anna-Jane lost everything and I’ll never recover from that tragedy.”
Mr Keogh and Attorney-General Vickie Chapman agreed to the compensation payment on Friday, 959 days after the Director of Public Prosecutions dropped a murder charge against him over the 1994 death of Ms Cheney.
He was released from prison 11 months earlier, in December 2014, when his conviction for drowning Ms Cheney in the bath was quashed by the Court of Criminal Appeal.
Through a statement issued by their lawyer Greg Griffin, the Cheney family said it was “shocked” the compensation deal had been struck inside the new government’s first 100 days.
“Any application by Keogh for compensation should have been allowed to take its proper course through the court system or, at the very minimum been investigated by an independent authority instead of the Crown Solicitors Office,” the statement said.
“The Cheney family will now take legal advice on the options available to pursue Keogh for
the matters arising from the death of Anna-Jane. Any damages awarded to the executor of
her estate will be donated to appropriate charities.”
In his statement, Mr Keogh said his wrongful conviction deprived him of the opportunity to grieve the death of Ms Cheney.
“I loved Anna-Jane and intended to marry her. Her death was a deep tragedy for me personally and all those who knew her,” he said.
“To be the one to find her was a horrifying experience which has continued to haunt me. The loss was unimaginable.
“I was deprived of the proper process of grieving by the ordeal I was subjected to shortly after her death.”
Mr Keogh’s conviction was quashed after the Court of Criminal Appeal found the prosecution had relied on flawed forensic evidence. It left Mr Keogh free, but not exonerated.
He said government departments had withheld or ignored “significant evidence exposing this miscarriage of justice”.
“There are many who contributed to this wrong perpetrated in the name of the South Australian public. They should be asked to account from their actions,” he said.
“When my case finally returned to court after 20 years the Full Bench of the Supreme Court unanimously overturned my conviction.
“The Office of the DPP considered a retrial for almost a year however they had nothing, because there was nothing. The matter was strung out as a face-saving exercise.”
Full statement by Henry Keogh
I loved Anna-Jane and intended to marry her. Her death was a deep tragedy for me personally and all those who knew her. She was a beautiful talented young woman who loved me in return. I considered my self blessed and was about to embark on a new and exciting chapter of my life with her. To be the one to find her was a horrifying experience which has continued to haunt me. The loss was unimaginable.
I was deprived of the proper process of grieving by the ordeal I was subjected to shortly after her death.
There were numerous chances provided to the Government to have my case appropriately reviewed by a court. Those opportunities were deliberately disregarded and with that the public intentionally misled. Significant evidence exposing this miscarriage of justice was withheld or ignored.
There are many who contributed to this wrong perpetrated in the name of the South Australian public. They should be asked to account from their actions.
When my case finally returned to court after 20 years the Full Bench of the Supreme Court unanimously overturned my conviction. The Office of the DPP considered a retrial for almost a year however they had nothing, because there was nothing. The matter was strung out as a face saving exercise.
I feel for the Cheney family and their loss. They are entitled to take what ever action they choose. I always hoped they would find solace in the fact that their beloved daughter had not been murdered by the man she loved. Unfortunately they seem incapable of accepting the truth.
No one would want to go through what I have endured but Anna-Jane lost everything and I’ll never recover from that tragedy.