Tasmania Police Commissioner Darren Hine responds to calls to re-open Sue Neill-Fraser’s appeal of her murder conviction

Tasmania’s Police Commissioner has released a strongly-worded statement amid calls to re-open the appeal of convicted killer Sue Neill-Fraser’s murder conviction.

TASMANIA’S top cop has weighed in to ongoing debate about Sue Neill-Fraser’s murder conviction, saying supporters of the convicted killer were making “selective arguments” and that he had confidence in the investigation and legal process.

Tasmania Police Commissioner Darren Hine on Friday put out a strongly-worded statement, amid calls for Neill-Fraser’s latest appeal to be reopened.

“Hobart man Bob Chappell was murdered in 2009 by his then partner Susan Neill-Fraser on board their yacht moored in the Derwent River — those are the facts,’’ Commissioner Hine said.

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Commissioner Hine said Neill-Fraser was convicted by a jury in the Supreme Court, and her appeal was dismissed by the Court of Criminal Appeal and the Coroner later supported the court’s findings.

“Whatever selective arguments are made by her support group or sensationalist tabloid-style national media programs, the fact remains that based on the evidence Neill-Fraser was convicted by a jury of murdering Mr Chappell,’’ he said.

“Neill-Fraser’s second appeal is currently being considered by the Court and I would like to make it very clear that I fully support the legal process and remain absolutely confident in the integrity, thoroughness and professionalism of the original and subsequent Tasmania Police investigation teams, including the forensics experts, and the prosecution case by the office of the [Director of Public Prosecutions].”

Neill-Fraser’s supporters are running a campaign to have the appeal reopened, and for the trio of judges yet to decide her fate to be provided with evidence they claim proves Neill-Fraser is innocent.

Their cause was bolstered on Tuesday this week with Mersey MLC Mike Gaffney tabling “critical papers” in state parliament’s Legislative Council, penned by Canberra barrister Hugh Selby and former Integrity Commission CEO Barbara Etter.

“This case will not rest, and for good reason,’’ Mr Gaffney said, outlining a range of issues highlighted in the papers.

“What if Sue Neill-Fraser was a member of your family, a friend or a person you represent in your electorate?”

Former Premier and Attorney-General Lara Giddings has also put her name to the cause of exonerating Neill-Fraser.

She called on current Attorney-General Elise Archer to seek leave to reopen the appeal by enacting her powers under common law.

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