Just before nine o'clock last night, the jury returned guilty verdicts against all three defendants.
It was absolute shambles, to tell you the truth, just absolutely really.
Pallous blood on his clothing the day after the alleged.
Attamp on a shallow mud bank and it fits Roy River.
Basically.
I think most of the people are used to me, there are good people.
I think a really important question we need to ask is how many Indigenous prisoners in Australia are innocent.
This is Curtain, a podcast where we pulled back the blinds to shine a light on the darkest parts of our justice system and ask who are the victims. I'm Amy Maguire.
And I'm Martin Hodgson, a senior advocate for the Foreign Prisoner Support Service. And a warning this series contains the names of deceased peoples and has distressing content that might upset some listeners.
I want to know, well that might turn out of jail even live, because he was done and he's seven not out. We need justice toy today.
Thank you.
That was Auntie Thelmer Henry, Kevin Henry's mum, speaking at a rally that was held this week for Linda and for Kevin in rock Hampton. This week's a special episode, and the reason we're late in bringing this episode to you is because of that rally. This week, we want to play you some audio clips of some of the
speeches that were given at the rally. They include Kevin Henry's family, some of Kevin's strongest advocates over the years, and some special visitors to rock Hampton who came from Afar to lend their support, highly respected people in the Aboriginal community. But first, I'm going to play you my
message to the people at the rally. I hope it gives you a broad overview of what's happened so far, and it was designed to give those in attendance who were not fully aware of the start to finish details of Kevin's case a very brief wrapp up of what's happened. And also I welcome to those of you who are new to the podcast who heard about it because of the rally. The rally was covered by many newspapers, on TV via NITV channel nine and channel seven, and on
many radio stations around Australia. From the lands of the Jyngung people, I extend my respects to durable elders past and present, and express my deepest appreciation to those who are here today and all who have gathered. From the very first day, Amy Maguire asked me to investigate the case against Kevin Henry. I had doubts. Everyone I spoke to gave me the same view of what had happened. The police got the wrong man, Curtin didn't do it.
But speaking with Yasmin Johnson, I soon realized this wasn't just about the police getting the wrong man. This was a total system failure led by people in the police force who had no intention or interest in getting justice for Linda. In fact, the police at the time said in their own words, all they were interested in was, and I quote, getting a black for a black Many many people were accused of Linda's murder by the police. In fact, they originally had four separate people charged in
two different sets of circumstances. It was absurd. There was no real investigation, just pure racism and a desire to lock up any blackfellow. Kevin, as we all know, was that unlucky man. Like everything in this case, even getting my hands on the original court transcripts was a battle. But once I did and I was able to launch a full investigation and review of Kevin's case with Amy as part of our Curtain the podcast series I Knew. We could not and would not stop until Kevin Henry
walked from prison a free man. Quite simply, what our investigation shows is clear Kevin was forced by the police to confess to a crime he did not commit. He has rightly maintained his innocence for more than twenty five years, and the evidence supports him. There was never any eyewitness in court or to this day, who saw Kevin commit this crime. There is no forensic evidence of any kind that has ever been discovered that links Kevin to this crime.
There is no DNA evidence, and much of the evidence presented at Kevin's trial proved that whoever committed this crime would have been covered in mud and water and needed access to a car. Kevin did not have access to a car. He was fast asleep at the time and did not have one drop of water nor one speck of mud on his clothes, shoes, or body. What the evidence does tell us is that the police got the
wrong man. The trial was deeply flawed, and the justice system found Kevin Henry guilty of a crime he did not commit. As these words are being spoken to you, I'm working in my living room, where I've been for the past twelve months, fighting for Kevin Henry his freedom and fighting to deliver justice for Linda. I want you to know that we are making good progress and that
those in power now understand we know the truth. Every day is spent reading from hundreds of pages of court transcripts, examining evidence, speaking with experts around the world, and writing the legal documents that show the truth of what happened at Tanuba House all those years ago. We have new evidence, we have heard from new witnesses, and we have uncovered
the police's tactics that sent an innocent man to jail. Thankfully, those police officers are no longer in the force, but exposing their disgraceful actions and the serious failings of the justice system is a vital step we must take for Curtain, for Linda, and for all First Nations peoples who have been treated in in anything but just way. We are peaceful, loving people, rich in the foundations of who we are.
All we seek is justice. So I ask you to join me in calling on the Queensland Governor and the Attorney General to set curtain free. I thank each and every one of you for being there today and for sending that message loud and clear. Know that I will not rest until Kevin is a free man and Linda has the justice her and her family deserve. Curtin has committed no crime, a crime has been committed against him. May our voices spread across this land. Free Kevin Henry.
But before I play you those audio clips, I want to make one quick point. The rally was held at t Enuba House with the permission of the Queensland Coastguard, who currently o what was once known as to Nuber House. It was a peaceful rally held in the morning that
extended until around lunchtime. In attendance were elders from Wurabinda and Rockhampton, durable elders there to perform a special smoking ceremony, young and old, there seeking justice for Cabin and seeking some finality, justice and healing for Linda and her family. And yet despite this, the police made twelve separate patrols of the event and set up on the opposite side
of the river with binoculars to observe the event. What was the point of this other than to intimidate those who were there, who were purely undertaking their democratic right to call for an end of injustice. And I'll make this point personally. If the police had done their job twenty something years ago, we would not be in this position.
Kevin Henry would not have lost nearly seventy percent of his life to the prison system, and Linda's family would not have suffered twenty five long years of pain and agony of not really knowing what happened to their mother, their daughter, their auntie, their loved one. This police behavior is unacceptable and it has to stop. And that's why more people have to join in in supporting these two
families who have undergone such an injustice because it keeps continuing. Now, I'm going to play for you some of the audio clips. We're going to begin with some of Kevin's elderly uncles and aunties who have known Kevin his entire life and who are calling for his freedom and for justice for Kevin, and for peace and justice for Linda's family. The audio quality at the beginning is not great, but please listen on. These two families who have suffered deserve your time and attention.
Today we just asked that you know and plead Kevin's case that he will be set free. You know.
He's due. You know it's due to him.
Now, yeah, thank you.
I am Wanton.
I just want to speak on about Kevin.
Kevin. I've known Kevin all my life. Anne.
This is where the event took place here, right in Kanouba. This is where it all happened here. This is where Kevin and was framed. Who was framed under this house here and you know he's been crazy's birthday. He locked up with the twenty five years of his life and they did nothing wrong. Come on, he's a political prisoner.
Let him out.
Come on.
You know we need justice for the family and for Kevin. Come on, you people that get beyond the family and Kevin Henley, the Foundation and you know, I just could thank you very much to Gasmin Johnson and have family who's took by Kevin for the last twenty five years of their life, and have family and Kevin Without Jasmine and with that, Martin Archie and Amy and the Maguire, this wouldn't took place without these people.
Now, I need the people.
I'll say him falls for Kate, Gasmin, Amy and my advoters because this wouldn't happen without them. Yeah, and come on your people, beneath justice to Kevin.
Bring email on money Moon, bring Kevin alone. Hello everybody, I'm Michelle Lisha. This morning, we brought Anna del Marin with this, with this.
Dudly event to get out, to get her sign out. We want to pick the Palachet government. And now that Martin Odgers and Amy has come on board, things are starting to happen now and we need everybody in this community, rock Anton community, to stop keeping your mouth shut, speak up if you know something about it.
Come and see the people. Come and see Amy, Come and see my know my silence.
This young boy gone for twenty six, twenty six years, and no one knows the plight that his mother has suffered. I've been in Warabinda since her curtain left, and I've seen Arlie Thelma deteriorate.
This mother is suffering every night.
She cries.
For her son because there's no people or no person at.
Power to help her.
But now we've got this help.
We've got her as an Aboriginal community or First Nation people, we've got to support this movement for Palischet government and bring all these corrupt, a use of powers of police to.
Justice, taken away people's rights, but they can't take away our soul and our spirits.
There's be here since day one when our creator.
Created our people of this land, and there's always justice, and there was.
Always laws, and there was all the right way to do things.
And the disease that follows through the colonization still flows through every country that has been invaded of their indigenous brothers and sisters around this world, in these countries.
And it happened to one of ours.
And we know Brockamter knows ceneral queens and knows queens and knows, and this nation knows. Then what happened here on these grounds did never have happened, but it didn't, and it was covered up and circumstantial evidence was made to look like proove you know, lies told all the time. And I need these couples stew back in the days.
And I've seen the regular video footage of seven Kevin's so called confession, and I tell you, my brother, he was still hung over, still have chides up, And I just want to say every bethday of Kevin.
From our family in the show, and that gang and.
Decided that brother looked theirs. The doors open and we gotta foot of that door. Then it's not gonna close that door. And I gotta kick that door in, kick that door in that they've been hiding behind those time. All the truth, you know, all the truth that was hidden and concocted lies the people in this town. But we're on the police force at the time. That's still here. Some have died, some have moved on, but there's people here and rock after those those people knows then what
happened here a long time ago. There's still freshing a lot of people's minds. There's still fresh in a lot of people's mind And I'd like to thank I am in my outing for get me in the world again. Yeah, but we want another track myself.
But we always fight for justice, whether for example like Capain case or any other case. We know it's not right. We know there's a lot of wrong done. Even today, when you.
See people walking in the street, you know you always get that look, or someone walking outside of the street or the foot path down to pass a black flow.
We might be prefer mathematics at the university.
I don't know that, you know, take a lot of brilliant black who was sitting around here not on five.
People who know the law too, and they use that and they see.
Through all the rubbish, you know, all the blind little roads that the government does. They've played all the policemen, all the coppers know they have an agenda. They have an agenda wiping out our race, wiping out the truth, covering up the truth in the Curtain's case, a big cover up.
You know.
That was Kevin's cousin, uncle Doug Graham from Murabinda. Now you'll hear from Yasmin Johnson. Yasmin's been Kevin's most staunch advocate for all these years. She's the one that brought this case to Amy Maguire's attention and kick started this whole new inventstigation and the podcast that Amy and I have created. He hasmen comes from a radical black family who have always been involved in politics and bringing the truth into the light.
So every time Kevin would apply for parole to the state board, they'd refuse him. So that's when I sort of got on board and use my well, asked my dad too. When Actick was running to have a talk Michael White, have a talk to the parole board and
see what's happening. So they would use breaches like you would do something wrong in the prison, They'll breach out throwing the du and that'll against that'll go against your prison termb you know, any little thing if you talk back and say, you know, have a guard of screws, and felt breaching for anything, because he was a talker, like Norman said, straight out stood up for his rights. So all these sort of things went on and on and on, and now he's up.
That was that was his fifteen year mark.
Now it's twenty five years and he's still sitting there, still getting refused parole by the State Parole.
Board based in Brisbane.
So I contacted my cousin here, Amy the Choir, who was living in Sydney working at newspaper The Mitill the newspaper. I emailed him when I came back from Alice Springs, I was living over there, and I said, Amy, your local. Well, my mother told me that contacted and haven't got Kevin's story because you know, she's a rocky girl who might be interested, and in which she was. So then she said, oh I have to talk to I've got contacts and whatever.
So then Amy got in contact with Martin Hodson. Now Martin deals with prisoners that are locked up all around the world, not here in Australia. People that go overseas and get into trouble get locked up. Martin helps these people.
He's worked in eighteen different continents around the world. When he had a look at Kevin Henry's case, he could not believe all the bullshit, all the floors, all the different lies, all the different statements, all the different statements that were changed from the peace station to the courthouse. When he went to court, everything was rigged.
It was all lies. And we all know that everybody's sitting here.
So what Martin has done now, he's got a fine tooth comb and he's just pulled it right through from the day it all happened here at Chanooba House right up until today. Martin he's a professional, he's a senior advocate and he said, this is the worst case.
He's ever seen in his career.
Now, this man works around the world, he's done no working in Australia. But Kevin Henry, he's taken this on. So you know, we need to appall Martin Hodson and his work. He's done a really great job. That's why you will see he on the Curtain podcast before us and I think I contacted Mahma Brickprap I used to talk on Talk Black with Gregory back in the day.
Who's not who would have heard me talking about this same story about the parole board and the prison system and how Kevin has been treated, and not only that, all of our mold being treated and what's happened with the recommendations in the black des and custing nothing, but they're not being practiced. We don't even have Nadoff anymore out in the prisons. We don't even have We're struggling to get our elders out there for Elder's Day because the money and just the red neck take that's going
on in our country today. So I'll go back to Martin. Martin's he works look right through. He's up three four o'clock in the morning working on the Kevin Henry case to build a case and to present it to the Attorney the Attorney General and the Governor of Australia because we have to deal with all this the racism and the discrimination. He at a local level and state level,
Martin wants to go straight to the top. And if you can release prisoners from around the world, eighteen different continents, I'm sure we can get Kevin Henry out and all these other political prisoners that are sitting in prisons right around Australia. And I think we need to have people like Martin Hodson come be the Central Queensland and bust open this corrective services because this system is over eighty years old. It was set up in the World War One days.
The system is parole board system.
You see how all our mob got to come out and they're going back in again.
Well this is this is how old this system is.
It was set up in World War One, and our mobil is sitting filling up in the prisons all these years, and Kevin Henry's not getting out because of this system. You understand what I'm talking about. Now Here there's a bit of a clear picture with Martin and what he's doing.
So they want a we want to retroll.
Yeah, that's right, but I think at the moment they want to give him out as quick as they can so they can work better with him. If he's in a system on parole, well there's might be restrictions, but if they can give him out in a queen's pardon. On a queen's pardon, well they got sort of more free room to move with him. And you know this is also for Kevin's family. They've been struggling with this for many years. You know, they didn't have the help.
They didn't have Kevin didn't have the help when he went to court that day. No, a lot of his family was home and more of mind and reading it in the paper.
They're looking at Kenny in the paper. That's where does that happen today? When it happened then back then?
That was Yasmin Johnson. The next voice you'll hear is that of Gwendas Stanley. Gwenda is an incredible advocate for all Aboriginal peace. On Invasion Day this year, large banners in Brisbane were held up saying free Kevin Henry. They were organized by Gwenda and she did that literally overnight. Now Gwenda was mceing the event, and I have a feeling she might have seen those police patrolling and thought she'd drop a little truth.
See the black man.
No one really gives a fuck about black men in this country. Sorry for the language, people, but we're angry. We got every right to be angry because the history of this country runs through the brains of each or one of every one of us here today, Let's look at the history of the Queensland Police Service eighteen sixty three. In twenty fourteen, on January first, the Queensland Police Services
celebrates one hundred and fifty years. Let's go back before eighteen sixty three, before your Queensland Police Act, and go back to the Native police. We have many massacre sides around here. Let's not forget our grace here was established. Let's not forget our canambula iides viol and the rest of the station's Derandra Baranba now which is Sherberg.
Let's forget.
Let's not forget about the Native police that came in and had done the job before they add their queens and Police Services. I like tock knowledge of paying my respect everyone here today. But this isn't a heartbreaking day for all of us. Not only is it only Kevin's birthday, there's also.
Twenty five years with an injustice.
In this country.
We thank GNDA for everything she did on the day and everything she's done for Curtin. This is also a good time to mention that along with Gwenda making the trip, so did her partner David tex Chapman, who you've heard on this podcast. If you go on to Curtain the podcast the facebook page, you can see video of David giving a speech at the rally, as well as a number of other videos of those who attended and gave
speeches on the day. Now, the next voice you'll hear is also someone who traveled from Afar to be at the rally and support Kevin, Linda and their families, and that's Uncle Sam Watson, the very well known and highly regarded Aboriginal activist.
Thank you and thanks to the organizers and the family for inviting us up here.
Well, I was little Popo Hills for a long time.
Com you here.
We've got family here amongst the crowd. So first I'd acknowledge the Fishliners, Casadians. The country on which we gathered was likenles Elder, particularly Kevin's family. It's privily to be here, thinks, such a strong, strong leading. I don't worry, but they follows are here. Let's worry about Let's build on people who are here. Strength to you and as revel X knows, with all the trials and tribulations we've been through. Well, build on that strength so you always get a strong outcome.
Since I've been reading a material about brother Kevin that lasted a while, this is one of the most appalling injustices I've ever encountered. Looking at the material, and even a first year law students wouldn't send this into a court.
There is no forensic.
Material that connects Kevin for the incident that took place.
There is no material for evidence at all that connects Kevin to this area.
There is Frend's friends of material that should be president, but it is a prison. Again.
This is just the case of corrupt and rotten pobs who found a vulnerable exposed in This young abriaginal man who had no experience with the legal process was starting intimidators by what was saddening, and the commers used their power, their authority, their weapons to force this young man into a situation where he confessed to a crime he knew nothing about and he'd not been involved. And there're litterally hundreds thousands of our people across Australia and Kevin's situation,
but Kevin's been there for twenty five years. He should never have gone before the court, should never have gone in the jibs, to never have been victed. First step should be that verdict, the original verdict should be satisfied.
So we need to go to the Premier.
We need to go to the sack Governor pulled a jersey and we need have that jury verdict set aside. Once that happens, then Kevin's released and we got a fly for appeal by then Crown Law a little the material and decide whether or not to go to another trial on the evidence before the original trial. As I said, there is no way in the world they should have even gone to a magistrate's court the middle, let alone a trial. So there is just no evidence. There no
safe evidence. This entire prosecution of Crown Law was unsafe and that verdict should be set aside.
Heaven should be released and it has to be done. It has to happen.
Now.
That's in our mob in Brisbane. We're on sandbacuse we've got.
Twelve months ago to the come Off Games next year and next April. We'll continue to make an issue out of this. We've had high profile case before we marched on part. We've fronted the Premier. We've round the government, We've froun the ministers, were frond of the the Attorney General, and we'll do it again. Kevin deserves out the poet, he deserves our love and he deserves his freedom. He shouldn't be in this place. And then we need to
take further steps. We need to investigate the role of these coppers because say, fitted an innocent Aboriginal man those coppers is going to be held to account. The police are going to react to this case. We'll find this monster who committed the original crime. That person is still out there. That person's going to be investigated, charged and arrested. But most of all, Kevin must go free one time. Twenty five years is a long long time the State
of Queensland. How's Kevin an enormous debt? You can ever replace that last twenty five years go through the struggle. Hopefully number one Kevin comes free, and number two we make sure that no other young original people en have to go through what Kevin's gone through. And we need to send a clear message to our brother there, Kevin where he is. Let him know that we love it and we support him, and he's going to be free.
We need to send a clear message to the state premier and a state of palachhet.
The state Governor, pauled New Jersey, the state Attorney general, the bet the art and we'll make this an absolute urgent priority and it will happen. Is how Bob and Brisbane, like I said, that's wrong. They know about this case now and we'll move on this one time. It's been absolute privilege to be here with you and the organized through inviting us up.
That's good to book back walking on these country, so thank you.
The final person you'll hear from was a very special guest on the day he traveled all the way to Rockhampton from Palm Island. That's Lex Wotten. As many people will and should know, Lex was a leader on the Shire Council. When in two thousand and four Mrunji was killed on Palm Island at the hands of police. Lex led the demonstrations and protests against the police violence and brutality, although they were reported in the media as riots. Lex was sentenced to seven years in prison and so he
knows greatly what Kevin is going through. But Lex was released and only recently successfully won a case of unlawful racial discrimination against the Queensland Police Service his legs, and again we want to thank him for making the journey down to Rockhampton today.
We become this voice for Kevin. You know, and I understand Kevin feels. I know what it's like to be in any situation. You're sitting in prison, you think that no one cares, but you being here today you prove that you do care. And our speech is about where I sit and people are not is but that's okay. You matter most to Kevin. I spoke him this morning. I wished him happy bed day. Also, my little grand order be a day today. I'm very pleased and honored to be called to come and say a few words
on his behalf. I'm very proud to be here today and show my support.
To his mum, his family. My respects are with you, his brother Gordon.
I went to school with him when Gordon was on Palm Island back in the seventies. And only last week sometime, yesmin teakes me one in the morning after one and he said, could I have a weird with you back coming to arally and stuff? So I left in my number and stuff and we communicate and.
I made it my business to be here.
You know, when you walk away from here today, keep.
This stuff going. Don't let anything die.
If you know of things, as it was said, bring it to light, talk to the right people. I was hoping to go out and see Kevin, but because things were too late and organizing stuff. But I suppose there was an opportunity, but they just probably didn't want me to go out and see him. But it was good to speak to him this morning. He sounded very positive. You know, he's in good spirit. He knows you know that things are happening. And I just tried to reassure him that, you know, we'll do the best we can.
On his behalf and that he has to be and like I.
Said to him, it's wrong for me to say it, he has to be a little bit more patient. You know, twenty five years of your life, that's a quarter of a century, and that's more than half of his life, sixty sixty nearly seventy percent of his life. You can't replace that, not even money. I've spoken to my lawyers about this case of Kevin, and last night I got the lawyer.
We spoke. They were speaking to Hamian and Kasmine. Hopefully they're gonna they want to get involved.
They're gonna talk to Martin and see what assistants however, anyway they can assist to bring this thing so that we free Kevin. We have to make a deadline. I believe, you know, not more than a year from now. You know, I think twenty days ago was actually twenty five years. So we have to make it a deadline, not one more year after this year that he stays in there.
We have to be his boys. We have to talk about it.
You know, a lot of your young people today you're on Facebook, post those things out, post his story out there.
It gets around.
That's the new way of doing things today. So I encourage you to support Kevin, his family and his community. Let's bring justice for Kevin.
That was Lex Wotton. For more of the speech from the day. To see photos and videos, please go to Facebook and search Curtin the Podcast where you'll find all that content and more, and like the page while you're there. You can also find more information on our Twitter page at Curtin the Podcast and on the website www dot
Curtin the Podcast dot com. I want to thank the durable elders, the traditional custodians of the land on which the rally took place, as well as the organizers Yasmin Johnson, Sean Sandout, Dwaine Maser, my co host Amy McGuire, Gwenda Stanley, and Tex Chapman, Uncle Sam Watson and Lex Wotton, all of whom traveled at considerable distance to be at the rally. We'll return later in the week with a regular episode of kurtin the Podcast, and we've got plenty of updates
to fill you in for now. Please spread the word, like us on Facebook, catch us on Twitter, and remember to tell everyone you know free Kevin Henry