NSW: Son denied murdering parents before inquest terminated

AAP General News (Australia)
04-28-2000
NSW: Son denied murdering parents before inquest terminated

By Emma Tinkler

SYDNEY, April 28 AAP - A civil engineer appearing at an inquest into the deaths of
his parents today denied he had murdered them shortly before the hearing was terminated
and the case sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Jeffrey Gilham, 30, was put on a five-year good behaviour bond in 1995 for the manslaughter
of his brother Christopher, whom he said had fatally stabbed their parents in their south
Sydney home on August 28, 1993.

After two weeks of hearing testimony from investigating police, neighbours of the Gilhams,
psychiatrists and forensic pathologists, coroner Dr Elwyn Elms ruled there was sufficient
evidence for the case to be pursued by the Crown.

"A known person has committed an indictable offence and there is a reasonable prospect
a jury would convict that known person," Dr Elms said.

"The inquest is terminated pursuant to section 19 of the Coroner's Act 1980 ... and
I will forward to the Director of Public Prosecutions the depositions taken at the inquest."

Earlier, Jeffrey Gilham replied "No" when asked if he killed his parents on the night
of August 28, 1993.

Steven Gilham, 58, and his wife Helen, 55, were stabbed repeatedly in their home at
Woronora seven years ago.

Gilham's brother Christopher, 25, was also found dead in the home with 17 stab wounds.

At the time, Jeffrey Gilham told police he had stabbed his brother after discovering
that Christopher had killed his parents and set his mother alight.

During the course of the inquest, Detective Sergeant Jeff Ahern told the court that
some aspects of the murder investigation could have been more thorough, and that the weapon
used to carry out the killings appeared to have been wiped or washed clean.

In other evidence, the court heard that Jeffrey Gilham was a "happy type of fellow"

who had a good relationship with his family and would sometimes mind the neighbour's children.

Forensic experts offered conflicting views about the absence of blood spatter on Jeffrey's
body immediately after he stabbed his brother, with one noting it was "remarkable" and
the other reporting that blood would not necessarily appear on the person wielding the
knife.

Forensic pathologist Dr Godfrey Oettle, who in 1998 appeared on the Nine Network's
current affairs program 60 Minutes with doubts about the killings, said he still believed
Jeffrey Gilham was responsible for all three deaths.

But Gilham's psychiatrist, Dr John Roberts, said Jeffrey had suffered a rare psychotic
episode when he stabbed Christopher and did not kill the couple.

AAP et/sb/was/de

KEYWORD: GILHAM NIGHTLEAD

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