THE END OF A FRAMEUP

This is the final act in a saga I mentioned on August 21st

If the former Roseanne Catt has one regret, it is that her parents are not alive to see the end of her long legal battle. The woman who became one of New South Wales's longest serving female prisoners has been told prosecutors will not pursue charges against her relating to an alleged plot to kill her ex-husband. The former Ms Catt, now known as Roseanne Beckett, has received a letter from the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions saying that "after careful consideration", it will not pursue five charges against her. She had faced two counts of soliciting to murder, one of malicious wounding, perjury and "attempt to cause noxious things to be taken".

In 1991, a jury found Ms Catt guilty of attempting to murder her ex-husband Barry Catt by stabbing, poisoning and bludgeoning him with a cricket bat and a rock, as well as ordering "a hit". Ten years later, a judicial inquiry was ordered into allegations Ms Catt was framed and she was released on bail on August 6, 2001. With two years to serve of her 12-year sentence, she had already become one of NSW's longest-serving female prisoners. In August this year, the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal said she could be re-tried on a number of counts, but left it up to the DPP to decide whether to proceed. The DPP's decision not to pursue a retrial brings an end to the legal battle against her.

Ms Beckett, who reverted to her maiden name after leaving prison, said today her only regret was that her parents did not live to see the resolution of her case. Her father Terence died on September 18 this year, just weeks before she received the letter from the DPP, while her mother Dorothy died in April 2002. "He was 92 and he was tired. He wanted to go to mum," Ms Beckett said. "He said 'I now know that you are going to be okay. I now know that your name is going to be cleared and I don't need to worry anymore because everything is going to be okay'."

Now living in her original home town of Dapto, south of Sydney, Ms Beckett, 58, said she was sure the future would be better. "It's not going to be easy, I know that," she said. "You can't just put 16 years behind you and out of your mind, especially given what I've had to go through, but I know with the very good professional team I have in my team, we will get there. "(I'm) just sad that mum and dad aren't here to enjoy it with me. I'm sad about that, but I know that they are in heaven looking down and are very happy."

Ms Beckett said she believed God had given her the grace not to feel anger or bitterness towards her ex-husband or others who testified against her. She said she also had forgiven two women who were paid to kill her in jail. "I believe justice will prevail, I really do. I believe these people will have to account for what they've done and won't be able to keep doing this to people," she said. "But anger and bitterness, that is something I don't feel. "I feel sad sometimes for the years I've lost and I feel very sad for what my children have had to endure and my family."

One of Ms Beckett's most high-profile supporters, NSW Greens MLC Lee Rhiannon, said she believed there was a case for compensation.


Report here



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