Scott Johnson’s family confront killer Scott White over gay hate murder
The man behind one of Australia’s most notorious gay hate crimes told his wife gay men were all better off dead, a court has been told.
Police & Courts
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The man who pleaded guilty to the 1988 murder of Scott Johnson routinely boasted about bashing “poofters” and told his ex-wife the American mathematician was a ‘dumb c**t’ who ran off a cliff, a court has been told.
In January Scott White shocked his lawyers when he confessed to murdering Mr Johnson, whose naked body was found on rocks by a fisherman at North Head in Manly.
White, 50, previously indicated he would plead not guilty, and after Justice Helen Wilson accepted the plea and convicted him, an appeal against the conviction was lodged with the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal.
Despite the changing developments, a sentencing hearing began on Monday and Mr Johnson’s heartbroken family members confronted Mr Johnson for the first time.
White’s ex-wife Helen also gave damning evidence, telling the court the pair first discussed Mr Johnson’s death after she saw a newspaper report about it.
“I remember asking him if this was one of the gay men that he’d bashed and he said ‘oh that girly looking poofter’,” Mrs White told the court.
“He quite often bragged about bashing poofters.”
Mrs White said another media report led the pair to speak again about Mr Johnson’s death before their relationship ended in 2008.
“I saw the article and the picture and I just asked him, ‘Did you do this?’
“He said, ‘The only good poofter is a dead poofter’.
“I said, ‘So you threw him off the cliff? He said, ‘It’s not my fault the dumb c**t ran off the cliff”. I said, ‘Well it is if you chased him’.”
Under cross-examination from White’s barrister Belinda Rigg, Mrs White denied allegations that she lied about those conversations or being motivated by a $1m reward police had offered anyone with information about Mr Johnson’s death.
After Mrs White gave evidence, Mr Johnson’s family members and former partner Michael Noone wept as they read out victim impact statements.
“No one can imagine what it was like to be shown his lifeless and very badly damaged body,” Mr Noone said.
“It’s an indelible image that is burned into the brain.”
The investigation into Mr Johnson’s death, which was initially treated as a suicide by police and led to multiple inquests and public campaigns for justice, was criticised by his family members, including sister-in-law Rosemary Johnson.
“What my husband’s family has endured as a result of the police’s early and ongoing failure to investigate Scott’s death is indefensible and inhumane and resulted in years of pain,” she told the court.
Mr Johnson’s sister Rebecca questioned how White could have been allowed to get away with thinking that violence and even killing was OK and maybe that gay men weren’t human”.
“I don’t wish Mr White suffering, I do hope that Mr White be met with justice for the 33 years, four months, 22 days and counting since he took my brother’s life,” she said.
The hearing continues.
Originally published as Scott Johnson’s family confront killer Scott White over gay hate murder
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