>I'm a little suspicious of Aussie expats using strange
>abbreviations instead of first names. Years ago, when
>I was doing my Ph.D. thesis at MIT, our building the
>tallest one at MIT campus had a little ghost story
>(that was true). It was about an Australian grad
>student who was kicked out by his wife and who lived
>for more than a year in the "auxiliary room" with
>pipes and pumps and AC controls. He then went back to
>Australia. For some reason he used an abbreviation
>R.O.R.Y. Thompson in his scientific publications,
>instead of his real first name. This R.O.R.Y. ended up
>marrying again down under, and soon hacked up his wife
>into many pieces using an axe. You get the idea.
That has to be Rory Jack Thompson, but I thought he was an American. The one I'm thinking of was a scientist. Killed his wife in Hobart decades ago, tried to flush the body parts down the toilet, got caught of course (blocked the sewer) and then (successfully) pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
Unfortunately for him, he discovered that being found not guilty by virtue of insanity is worse than being found guilty. Guilty murderers get a definite sentence, usually paroled after 10-15 years. Insane killers get an indeterminate sentence. After about 20 years he was regularly recommended for release from the prison hospital, but successive State Attorneys General were loathe to take the political risk of releasing such a notorious felon.
A few years ago he briefly escaped. Was working just outside the walls of the prison and simply caught a bus into Hobart. Still wearing his prison clothes he popped into the bank to get some cash out of an account he had somehow set up, then took a taxi to the airport. He got as far as being seated in the plane before some bright spark noticed that he was wearing a prison uniform and the cops were called to haul him off.
Anyhow, he was charged with escape of course, but his defence was both defiant and brilliant. "They can't have it both ways," he argued, "either I'm insane and therefor can't be held legally guilty, or I'm sane, in which case my continued imprisonment was unlawful." Hoisted on their own petard! ;-) Didn't do him a bit of good of course.
So never plead guilty, but it is even worse to plead not guilty by virtue of insanity. I almost felt sorry for him.
He committed suicide soon after his foiled escape bid. Can't say I'm surprised, his situation was hopeless. Bet he regretted that insanity plea.
Has to be the same bloke, but for some reason I always understood Rory Jack Thompson was a yank. God, maybe I'm guilty of stereotyping Americans?
Bill Bartlett Bracknell Tas