Shane Bond’s brother says wrongful prosecution on Elisabeth Membrey murder destroyed family

Shane Bond spent two years in prison and endured a long trial for a murder he didn’t commit. Now his brother wants police to answer for destroying his family.

Shane Bond walks free from the Supreme Court after being acquitted of the murder of Elisabeth Membrey.

Victoria Police could face legal action over the wrongful prosecution of the man charged with the murder of Elisabeth Membrey.

Shane Bond was charged with the murder in 2010, 16 years after Ms Membrey went missing on December 6, 1994.

But police now believe Bond was not the killer, and have linked another key suspect to DNA found in Ms Membrey’s car.

Now his family say they want Victoria Police and the Office of Public Prosecutions to review their policies around prosecutions.

His brother Glen told the Herald Sun Bond had previously tried to sue Victoria Police but said he was unable to find a lawyer willing to take the case.

But he said recent developments in the murder mystery, which have comprehensively ruled his brother out of any involvement, could prompt fresh action.

“How did the police get it so wrong?” Mr Bond said.

“It’s as though they didn’t actually look at the brief of evidence and cross check it.

“The evidence was never there.”

Elisabeth Membrey vanished from her home in December 1994 after finishing a work shift

The case against Bond was circumstantial and relied largely on witnesses linking him to Ms Membrey through his own alleged admissions.

There were no witnesses or DNA linking Bond to the crime, and he vehemently denied any involvement.

He was charged after new information came to light following the promise of a $1 million reward for evidence leading to a conviction.

He spent two years in prison and endured an eight week trial before a jury found he had no involvement in Ms Membrey’s death.

Mr Bond said he had been estranged from his brother for some years, with the trial destroying his family and Bond’s life.

He believes police were desperate for a conviction so ignored inconsistencies in the case, and an overwhelming lack of evidence.

He also believes the promise of the $1m reward, offered in 2006, encouraged false testimony from two key witnesses and wants perjury charges investigated.

Joy and Roger Membrey outside the Supreme Court.

Shane Bond is led into court during his trial.

“We got the gist throughout the whole trial that the police were just after someone,” he said.

“Shane was a target and police just put the pressure on him.

“At the first bail hearing the lawyer said there’s no smoking gun here, your brother didn't do it.

“He said there’s lots of people who say they’re not guilty in jail, but your brother is not guilty.”

Mr Bond said he and his family lived with the pain of the trial every day.

And he said he felt for Ms Membrey’s parents Joy and Roger. Roger died this week never knowing what happened to his daughter.

“It was really, really hard on me and my family,” he said.

“Walking past the Membreys in court we’d just sort of nod our heads at each other.

“We felt really bad because we just wanted to let them know Shane didn’t do this, but we want to help you find the people who did.

“We felt so sorry for them. They got put through hell for this. It was hell for our family and double hell for them.”

Ms Membrey was murdered some time after she returned home after signing off from work at 11.45pm.

She had set her bedroom alarm for a doctor’s appointment the next day, and was writing a letter to a friend in Britain when, police believe, she was disturbed by a knock at the door.

Police believe she knew the man at the door, and let him in.

Ms Membrey was killed in the hallway some time later.

Her body was taken in her own car to a remote location, believed to be somewhere in the Kinglake or Silvan areas, and has never been found.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said the investigation into the disappearance of Elisabeth Membrey in 1994 remains ongoing.

“A $1 million reward announced in January 2006 remains on offer to anyone who can provide information leading to the convictionof the person or persons responsible for Elisabeth’s murder,” the spokeswoman said.

Anyone with information about the 22-year-old’s disappearance is urged to contact crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submita confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au