Justice for Terry Irving: 31 Years of Wrongful Imprisonment and Still No Apology
Justice for Terry Irving: 31 Years of Wrongful Imprisonment and Still No Apology
Terry Irving**, an Aboriginal man from north Queensland, spent over 3 years in prison for a bank robbery he didn't commit. He was maliciously prosecuted by police and wrongfully jailed for 1,671 days. His conviction was overturned by the High Court in 1997, but Queensland has not apologized or offered compensation. On Thursday, the Supreme Court heard submissions to determine how much compensation Irving is owed. His barrister, Gerard Mullins KC, called for 'significant' damages due to the 'complete lack of remorse' from the state. Irving, now 59, said 'no amount of money' could make up for the ordeal that left him in a 'small cell' and brought him to the 'doorstep of Brisbane’s supreme court building'.