The man responsible for the notorious Sydney murder of Scott Johnson three decades ago has been jailed for 12 years.
Key points:
- Three coronial inquests into Johnson's death all returned different findings
- Scott White was sentenced in accordance with patterns in the late 80s and early 90s
- Justice Helen Wilson conceded White could have expected a harsher jail term if the crime was committed today
Scott Phillip White did not react as Justice Helen Wilson sentenced him for a maximum of 12 years and seven months for killing the American mathematician in 1988.
He was given a non-parole period of eight years and three months.
White, 51, pleaded guilty to killing the 27-year-old at a known gay beat at North Head but has already lodged an appeal against his conviction.
Today marks the end of a long chapter for Johnson's family who have campaigned for justice for 34 years.
Justice Wilson said there was not enough evidence to deem the murder a gay hate crime "beyond reasonable doubt".
Johnson's naked body was found at the bottom of a cliff at Blue Fish Point.
Exactly how it came to be there remained a mystery for more than three decades.
Three coronial inquests into the death all returned different findings.
However, in 2020 there was finally a breakthrough when White was arrested after a tip off to police from his ex-wife, Helen.
Police had earlier announced a $1 million reward for information that resulted in a conviction in the case — something Johnson's brother, Steve, doubled by using his own money.
During today's sentencing in the Supreme Court, Justice Wilson acknowledged the family's long battle for answers and said while the outcome was "unlikely to end the grief ... it may bring some peace".
White, who will be eligible for parole in August 2030, received a reduced sentence on several grounds including his admission of guilt, cognitive impairment and a dysfunctional upbringing.
The sentence is also shorter than what White would receive if the crime was committed today, as the court must abide by sentencing patterns at the time of the murder.
"Sentences for murder in the late 80s and early 90s were on average lower than at present," Justice Wilson said.
"[And] the court is not sentencing a violent and aggressive young man for an attack on a gay man ... it is sentencing a seriously impaired man in his 50s who has been law abiding for 15 years."
Justice Wilson said while it was possible the murder was motivated by White's hatred of gay men, there was not enough evidence to prove this.
She found the attack was not planned and could have been driven by "self-loathing" as White, who came out as gay years later, was raised in a homophobic family.
She said what happened in Johnson's final moments would never be known.
White told his ex-wife he "chased" the victim off the cliff but later told police he tried to grab him as he fell.
The court did however conclude White had a "reckless indifference" to Johnson's life.
"It was a terrible death ... Mr Johnson must have been terrified, aware he would strike the rocks below and conscious of his fate," Justice Wilson said.
Outside court, Johnson's family, who travelled from the US for the hearing, thanked Justice Wilson for delivering a "fair" sentence.
"She explained what the world lost, what we lost, and what Scott lost in a beautiful way," Steve Johnson said.
"She also very carefully attended to the offender to make sure he was treated fairly."
Steve Johnson, who hired a private investigator to probe his brother's death, also thanked White's ex-wife for coming forward.
"[She] sacrificed her safety to do that and then bravely testified in court yesterday."
While tearing up, Steve Johnson said the case had brought out "the best in Australia".
"What's happened over the last few years is a large number of people came together because they were inspired by Scott and they saw he was wronged," he said.
"I think today [Scott] is saying thankyou, he's proud of us."
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2022-05-03 03:28:38Z
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