Adrian Ernest Bayley: Jill Meagher’s killer guilty of more rapes
JILL Meagher’s family hopes to finally achieve closure after enduring court-imposed gag orders designed to protect their daughter’s killer.
True Crime Scene
Don't miss out on the headlines from True Crime Scene. Followed categories will be added to My News.
JILL Meagher’s family hopes to finally achieve closure after suffering in silence due to court-imposed gag orders designed to protect their daughter’s killer.
Meagher’s evil killer Adrian Ernest Bayley has been convicted of raping three more women after secret trials spanning half a year.
The guilty verdicts can finally be revealed after the Victorian County Court lifted strict suppression orders designed to ensure the notorious killer received fair trials.
SPECIAL REPORT: The true evil of Adrian Bayley revealed
SHOCKING HISTORY: Adrian Bayley’s crimes revealed
COURT DOCUMENTS: What Jill’s killer told police
In a statement issued by Jill’s father George McKeon today, the Jill’s family said they hoped no one no one would need to suffer as they had.
“Nothing can bring back our daughter, but as was clear from the Callinan report the Victorian Parole Board failed to protect our daughter and many others in the community,’’ he wrote.
“As a family, we have until now been very mindful not to make any statement or take any actions that might delay the outstanding criminal proceedings against Gillian’s murderer.
“However now that these proceedings are completed, we want to try and obtain closure and to ensure that other families don’t have to endure this trauma. In particular as a family we would like to.’’
The family said they would continue to raise awareness of the systemic problem of violence against women.
“An issue we as a family and Tom Meagher, in particular, is very closely associated with in both his writings and his role as an ambassador for the White Ribbon Campaign,’’ he wrote.
The family has also expressed its concerns over an open Coronial inquest into their daughter’s murder and have called for it to be scrapped.
“Following the Callinan Report, the 20 May 2013 amendments to The Corrections Act 1986 (Vic) and the criminal proceeding in relation to her murder, we see little to be learned or gained from an open Inquest into her death,” he wrote.
Bayley, who is serving a 35-year minimum term over the murder of Ms Meagher, now faces even more time behind bars, with his horrific tally of known victims now at 12.
He forced three victims to relive their ordeals over the past six months by pleading not guilty and going to trial.
Two of the rapes occurred in the months before Ms Meagher’s murder in September 2012.
Justice was almost denied to Bayley’s traumatised victims after several media organisations breached the strict suppression orders restricting the reporting of his wicked history.
One breach — a report during Bayley’s first trial last year by Fairfax’s Clementine Ford — came as the jury were deliberating and forced the delay of the next two trials to March this year.
It also seriously impacted on the final rape trial, which involved a Dutch backpacker who refused to return to Australia to testify.
That trial concluded today after a jury returned a guilty verdict, finding Bayley attacked her in Balaclava on July 15, 2012.
The jury came to a majority verdict after deliberating for more than three days.
That woman gave a description of her attacker that looked remarkably like Bayley, but sadly police did not connect her rape to Bayley until after Ms Meagher’s murder.
The court heard that like Ms Meagher, the 27-year old was attacked on her way home after enjoying drinks out with her friends.
On a mobile device? Click here to better view the interactive below
She was only a short stroll from home when attacked.
The terrified woman was choked, bashed and raped before convincing Bayley to take her home to the share house she was staying at with other backpackers, where she escaped.
Although each of the three juries was told about Bayley’s conviction over the murder of Ms Meagher, none had any idea about the extent of his shocking criminal history.
Victoria Police said in a statement: “The detectives involved in investigating these matters from the time of report through to today’s verdict have done an exemplary job.
“They have worked hard and diligently to ensure a successful prosecution and did everything possible to ensure today’s outcome.
“We would also like to acknowledge the bravery of the women involved, who have shown tremendous strength to see this case through to today’s verdict.”
Police and Corrections Minister Wade Noonan said parole law changes made after the murder of Jill Meagher meant the circumstances surrounding Mr Bayley’s case should not be replicated in other criminal cases.
“I am very confident that should Bayley’s matter come up again, the sorts of reforms that have been put in place... would make it much, much harder not only for Bayley to get parole in the circumstances that he found himself, but anyone in his situation going forward,” Mr Noonan said.
“All of those reforms don’t bring people back to life sadly, but they do limit risk. You can never eliminate risk completely in a community, but they were vast and far ranging.”
Mr Noonan described the crimes of Mr Bayley as “absolutely horrendous and shocking”.
“Quite frankly, they sicken me,” he said.
Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said Victorians are deeply disturbed to learn about Bayley’s criminal history and activity in the past.
“It is without doubt he as an individual has made a huge impact upon many Victorians by his disgraceful actions which has seen many changes and continual reform to parole systems and law and order in this state,” he said.
“We need to continue to look at our legal framework, our parole system if there is changes that the government needs we stand ready to work with the government to ensure that community safety comes first and that it sits above any base bipartisanship.”
Bayley’s legal team are likely to appeal the guilty verdicts on the basis the notorious killer was unable to get a fair trial due to the media firestorm following the murder of Ms Meagher.
His barrister, Saul Holt, had argued the point unsuccessfully last year before the commencement of the first trial.
The conclusion of the trials will see Bayley return to 23-hour lock down for the remainder of his sentence.
In Bayley’s first trial last year, he was found guilty of raping a woman 12 years before the murder of Ms Meagher.
His second trial was for raping a woman in St Kilda in 2012.
Bayley was remanded in custody and will return to court on May 27.
SPECIAL REPORT: The true evil of Adrian Bayley revealed
SHOCKING HISTORY: Adrian Bayley’s crimes revealed
COURT DOCUMENTS: What Jill’s killer told police
THE EVIDENCE: Bayley watched movies, ate kebabs after murder
How this teen became a savage killer
An evil lives within killer Jamie Lee Dolheguy, but was it always there or did it manifest from the years of abuse and neglect that marred her childhood.
Overland’s stunning concession in Lawyer X Royal Commission
Former police chief Simon Overland has been grilled by the Royal Commission into the Lawyer X scandal, and revealed how he kept the use of Nicola Gobbo from the state’s top prosecutors.