WA man’s fight for compensation still going after wrongful conviction
A West Australian man who spent more than a decade behind bars is still waiting for payment after being acquitted 18 months ago.
Clint Hampson, the criminal lawyer of Scott Austic, has told Liam Bartlett on Mornings that his client has been waiting 18 months to hear back on an ex-gratia payment after being wrongfully accused of murder.
Scott Austic’s original conviction was quashed, and a re-trial found him not guilty of killing his pregnant girlfriend in 2007.
Mr Hampson told Liam Bartlett that he lodged an application for an ex-gratia payment with the Attorney General’s office as soon as Mr Austic was acquitted.
“I understand it’s a process we need to respect. John Quigley has always been a very good supporter, but it’s getting to 17-18 months now,” he said.
“Whilst we respect that there’s a process that needs to be followed, we’re certainly hoping that we can get an answer from the Attorney General’s office sooner rather than later.”
Tap PLAY to hear the full interview with Scott Austic’s lawyer.