3-åriga Cheryls mördare kan vara gripen – efter 47 år, Australien

The court heard that the man – who allegedly told doctors in 1970 that he had “urges to kill himself and kill other people” – told police at the time he had hid with the toddler in a nearby drain for about 35 minutes, gagging her with a handkerchief and tying her hands behind her back with a shoelace before taking her to the spot where he allegedly murdered her.

The man, now in his 60s, was arrested in March last year.

The trial will resume at a committal hearing on 28 July, when the defence will cross examine retired detective Phillip Findlay on his evidence.

Cheryl Grimmer murder case dropped after inadmissible evidence

The New South Wales attorney general will not intervene to force the prosecution of a man charged with the murder of toddler Cheryl Grimmer 49 years ago.

Mark Speakman said on Friday that he would not use his power to instruct the department of public prosecutions to appeal the supreme court’s decision to omit a crucial piece of evidence in the cold case.

“Having looked at the judgment very carefully, and having taken the advice of the crown advocate, I have concluded that any appeal will fail [and] therefore I can’t bring an appeal,” Speakman said.
Cheryl Grimmer case won't go ahead as police interview ruled inadmissible
“But even if I could bring an appeal, it would just raise false hope and be cruel.

“I know it is a kick in the guts for the Grimmer family … They’ve searched for justice for almost 50 years but unfortunately I can’t help them in that search for justice

The man, known only as Mercury because he was underage at the time, pleaded not guilty in September 2018 to murdering the three-year-old in 1970.

In April last year, the court heard that during an interview with police in the early 1970s, the man had confessed to killing Grimmer, telling officers he had intended to have “sexual intercourse” with the girl before allegedly killing her.

After appeals from the Grimmer family, who still live in NSW, Speakman sought independent advice from the crown advocate, David Kell, before also concluding that any further action would fail.

He said he had spoken to the Grimmer family on Friday morning and that they were “devastated” by the decision.

“They had lived in hope that at long last, after almost half a century, this crime would be solved and a perpetrator brought to justice,” he said.

“He gave this confession of his own free will. Only the person that committed this crime could give such a detailed confession,” Mr Nash said.