Trial
On 1 February 2007, McNeill formally went on trial for the murder. A press blackout was imposed by the judge, Mark Weinberg, to prevent any dilution of the limited potential jury pool. On 1 March 2007, McNeill told the Supreme Court, "I did not kill Janelle Patton", "I did not abduct her" and "I did not see Janelle Patton that day". He said he could not recall what he had told police earlier, but "would have admitted to anything" due to his mental health problems. The trial ended on 9 March 2007 when the 11-person jury returned a guilty verdict.
On 25 July 2007, McNeill was sentenced to 24 years in prison by Judge Weinberg (acting as Norfolk Island's chief justice) in the Federal Court in Sydney.
Read more about this topic: Janelle Patton
Famous quotes containing the word trial:
“In government offices which are sensitive to the vehemence and passion of mass sentiment public men have no sure tenure. They are in effect perpetual office seekers, always on trial for their political lives, always required to court their restless constituents.”
—Walter Lippmann (1889–1974)
“Every political system is an accumulation of habits, customs, prejudices, and principles that have survived a long process of trial and error and of ceaseless response to changing circumstances. If the system works well on the whole, it is a lucky accident—the luckiest, indeed, that can befall a society.”
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