Couple accused of killing youngster to scouse borrow child acquitted

On a chilly iciness’s day in June 2002, an intellectually disabled teenage lady disappeared from the New South Wales Riverina with no hint.

Since then, the thriller of what came about to Amber Haigh has captivated the huge Australian farming area, because of a shocking allegation: that the 19-year-old was once killed via the daddy of her five-month-old child and his spouse, in order that they might take her kid.

Twenty years on, Robert and Anne Geeves – each 64 – had been charged together with her homicide, however on Monday had been acquitted after a high-profile trial.

Justice Julia Lonergan discovered that prosecutors had did not turn out their alleged reason, announcing: “Circumstances aren’t determined on hearsay, hypothesis or suspicion.”

The Geeveses are the closing recognized other people to have noticed Amber alive. They have got lengthy stated they dropped her at a educate station 300km (186 miles) from their house in Kingsvale – the place the 3 have been dwelling on the time – in order that she may discuss with her death father on 5 June.

Regardless of in depth police investigations, a coronial inquiry, and a million-dollar praise for info, her frame hasn’t ever been discovered.

Prosecutors depended on witness testimony and masses of paperwork to strengthen their idea – that the Geeveses had “manipulated” Amber into having Robert’s child, after which “got rid of” her “from the equation” when she wouldn’t relinquish custody.

The courtroom heard the couple had an grownup son – who had prior to now dated Amber – however within the early 2000s nonetheless “desperately” sought after every other kid, having continued a number of miscarriages and a stillbirth.

Then again, the defence stated the allegation they killed Amber to scouse borrow her child was once baseless, and that the investigation into the pair – who’ve spent two years in jail watching for trial – was once incorrect from the beginning.

They advised the courtroom a “haze of distrust” had clouded the local people’s view of the Geeveses because of Robert’s historical past – which incorporated acquittals for the homicide of an ex-partner who was once discovered shot within the face on his assets, and sexual attack fees involving two schoolgirls.

That previous, the Geeveses’ attorneys stated, had created a “presumption of guilt” that continued for many years, and in the end “blinded” police as they regarded for Amber.

Over 9 weeks, dozens of witnesses gave proof concerning the ultimate months of the teenager’s existence – describing a “type hearted” but “prone” younger lady who struggled to discern between “love and exploitation”.

Two recalled how Amber had shared tales of abuse with them – together with circumstances the place Robert Geeves had allegedly plied her with alcohol, tied her up, and had intercourse together with her.

And the couple’s son Robbie advised the courtroom that his mom had referred to his ex-girlfriend as a “surrogate” and that each oldsters had grew to become up at his house in the dark asking him to just accept Amber’s kid as his “little brother”.

The prosecution additionally tendered an settlement Amber made Robert signal, promising to not take her kid, in addition to a will she’d created stipulating her aunt be given custody of the newborn within the tournament of her loss of life.

“There was once little signal, within the sea of proof on this case, that Amber was once ever proven the affection she wanted or deserved,” Justice Lonergan stated, including that it’s transparent “past an inexpensive doubt” that she is useless.

However the pass judgement on in the end discovered a crucial “downside” with the prosecution’s case – there was once “no adequate proof” that Anne and Robert nonetheless held a need for extra kids when Amber turned into pregnant.

She criticised the accounts of prosecution witnesses and stated the investigation had focussed on “disproving the Geeveses model of occasions” moderately than investigating the reason for Amber’s disappearance.

Taking a look on the couple as they sat within the dock, Justice Lonergan ordered that they be launched from custody in an instant.

One member of the general public gallery stormed out of the court to scream. Amber’s kin, too, had been visibly shaken, with some later quietly breaking down in tears outdoor courtroom.

The prosecution and defence agreed on little right through the trial – instead of that Amber’s existence have been exceptionally tricky, and that her loss of life got here upfront.

“Amber went from side to side between puts and other people on the lookout for love and solace. She by no means discovered it.

“She was once nonetheless on the lookout for it when she disappeared,” Justice Lonergan concluded.

The courtroom heard that Amber had come to Kingsvale – an remoted suburb close to the regional the city of Younger – within the Nineties to reside together with her nice aunt Stella Nealon, after fleeing a “dysfunctional” formative years in Sydney marred via epilepsy, finding out difficulties, and a violent alcoholic father.

Ms Nealon had lived subsequent door to the Geeveses, who had been each of their 40s on the time and had been presented to Amber via their 19-year-old son Robbie.

The courtroom heard that Amber’s existence at her nice aunt’s space was once risky, and every now and then bodily violent. A lot of the strain stemmed from Amber’s courting with one among her cousins, which had led to an abortion at age 14.

In police interviews performed to the courtroom, the Geeveses stated they’d introduced Amber safe haven and that she had entered a sexual courting with Robert in a while after.

The Geeveses stated that even though their courting with the teenager can have gave the impression “bizarre” or confronting to outsiders, the 3 of them “were given alongside really well”, with Anne telling police that Amber noticed her as a maternal determine.

When it turned into transparent in 2001 that Amber had fallen pregnant with Robert’s kid, it brought about a rupture inside the local people, and in the end severed Robbie’s courting along with his oldsters – an estrangement nonetheless obvious in courtroom on Monday.

By way of all accounts, Amber “adored” her son, however social staff and buddies testified that she’d additionally struggled to stay alongside of the ceaseless calls for of motherhood.

The Geeveses have maintained that they did their easiest to assist Amber navigate the ones demanding situations, and that they did so with out vested pastime.

And in her ruling, Justice Lonergan discovered “not anything sinister” of their “provision of help” for Amber and her kid – whose privateness remains to be topic to strict criminal protections.

Additional, she stated the “constant” account given via the Geeveses – that they closing noticed Amber as she walked in opposition to the station after kissing her son good-bye – was once now not “inherently fantastic”.

Checklist the main points of the case, she famous that whilst it was once transparent Amber was once “attacked, abused and made to really feel unsafe” since formative years, the prosecution had failed to ascertain how she met her finish.

She conceded it’s an consequence which leaves one of the vital “factual issues” within the case – which has tortured such a lot of as regards to it for many years – unresolved.