Date of Incident: -5-1978
Date of Conviction: 1979
Exoneration Date: 1985
Charge: Conspiracy and attempted murder
Conviction: Conspiracy and attempted murder
Sentence: 16 years
Sentence Served: 7 years
Contributing Causes: Witness testimony
Compensation: Yes
Paul ALISTER
Paul Alister, Ross Dunn and Tim Anderson (notorious as the Ananda Marga Trio) were convicted of conspiracy to murder and with the attempted murder of Robert Cameron. Robert Cameron was the leader of the National Front at the time. The trio were said to have intended to bomb Robert Cameron’s home.
On February 13th, 1978 a bomb placed in a garbage bin exploded outside the Hilton Hotel in Sydney where 12 Prime Ministers attending a conference were present. Two garbage men and policeman were killed. Richard Seary, a police informant, was used to permeate Ananda Marga, a Hindu religious group, by feeding the homeless at an Anaga soup kitchen. Mr Seary stole a car from police headquarters and picked up the Ananda Marga Trio to do a graffiti run.
Ross Dunn and Paul Alister who only intended to paint anti-racist slogans on nearby walls were initially arrested when police stopped the vehicle driven by Seary and found a bomb. Tim Anderson was only later arrested whom police alleged was in process of claiming responsibility for the incident. The first trial of the trio had a hung jury verdict.
The second trial included a witness, Mr Seary, stating that the trio were responsible for the Hilton bombing. The evidence seemed sufficient to charge the three men with conspiracy to murder. the trio was incarcerated for 16 years with two unsuccessful appeals.
In 1982 the foreman of the jury of the second trial stated that it had not been a fair trial of the trio, as the testimony of Mr Seary had prejudiced the jury greatly. Jurors initially wrote to Mr Frank Walker, Attorney-General at the time, and then later, an inquiry was ordered by the new Attorney-General Mr Paul.
In 1985, a judicial inquiry led by Justice Wood illustrated that the three men had been wrongfully convicted and were innocent.
