A gruesome kidnapping and murder case from the 1980s has taken a new twist when a lawyer and former politician questioned new evidence.
Former MP Peter Breen has called for an inquiry into the convictions of Stephen ‘Shorty’ Jamieson for the kidnap, rape and murder of Janine Balding in Sydney in September 1988.
But her brother David Balding told A Current Affair on Thursday evening: ‘It all needs to rest now. There’s no doubt they have the right people.”
His life was consumed by the death of his twenty-year-old sister, when he himself was ten years old.
“It’s kind of been my life ever since… it just doesn’t end,” he said. “It just keeps popping up.”
The 1988 kidnap, rape and murder of Janine Balding (pictured) case has taken a new twist, as a lawyer and former politician cast doubt on new evidence
Mrs Balding’s brother David (pictured) told A Current Affair on Thursday evening that ‘it all needs to calm down now. There is no doubt they have the right people.”
Jamieson was 22 when Ms Balding was murdered, and two other convicted homeless men were aged 14 and 16 at the time.
Mr Breen, Jamieson’s lawyer, said another man nicknamed ‘Shorty’ was known in the area at the time.
This second ‘Shorty’ wore a bandana, and Mr Breen is pinning his hopes on bandana DNA testing to cast doubt on his client’s convictions.
Former Chief Inspector Russell Oxford said he had made a commitment to the Balding family in a particularly gruesome case.
“I promised the family that someone would continue to stand up for Janine,” he said.
Mr. Oxford claims that the issue of mistaken identity has been investigated and disregarded by multiple courts and investigations.
Former Chief Inspector Russell Oxford (pictured) said he had made a commitment to the Balding family in a particularly horrific case
“The investigation that this investigation went through… we went through two murder cases, we went through the Court of Criminal Appeal, they appealed to the High Court,” he said.
‘We have the killers. They will be in prison for the rest of their lives and that is where they belong, that is where they should stay.”
Attorney General Michael Daley has until May 8 to submit written submissions in response to Mr Breen and Jamieson’s request for an investigation.
The case is expected to return to the NSW Supreme Court on May 13.