Wrongful convictions exposed: Neil Mercer & Gary Jubelin dissect the Harry Blackburn scandal, flawed DNA evidence & justice system failures.

Veteran journalist and author Neil Mercer returns to I Catch Killers for part two of his confronting examination of wrongful convictions in the Australian justice system. 

In this episode, Neil and Gary Jubelin revisit one of the most embarrassing periods in NSW Police history: the case of Harry Blackburn, a former police superintendent publicly branded a serial rapist and paraded before the media before he was ever formally charged. They unravel the extraordinary chain of failures that led to his very public downfall, a saga that only ended when a Royal Commission finally exposed the truth. 

They also unpack DNA evidence, long considered the gold standard in forensic science, and just how far from infallible it can be, and the broader, systemic issues that allow innocent people to be wrongly convicted: unreliable eyewitness identification, the historical use of "police verbals" and false confessions, inadequate legal representation, and the unique challenges faced by First Nations Australians navigating a justice system not built with their language or culture in mind.

Neil Mercer is the author of Falsely Convicted: True Stories of Injustice in Australia. 

Want to hear more from Neil Mercer? Listen to his other interviews with Gary on I Catch Killers here and here. 

You can watch I Catch Killers on Youtube here. 

Follow I Catch Killers:
Instagram: @icatchkillers
Tiktok: @icatchkillerspodcast
Facebook: @icatchkillers

Email the show at icatchkillers@news.com.au

Veteran journalist and author Neil Mercer returns to I Catch Killers for part two of his confronting examination of wrongful convictions in the Australian justice system.&nbsp;
In this episode, Neil and Gary Jubelin revisit one of the most embarrassing periods in NSW Police history: the case of Harry Blackburn, a former police superintendent publicly branded a serial rapist and paraded before the media before he was ever formally charged. They unravel the extraordinary chain of failures that led to his very public downfall, a saga that only ended when a Royal Commission finally exposed the truth.&nbsp;
They also unpack DNA evidence, long considered the gold standard in forensic science, and just how far from infallible it can be, and the broader, systemic issues that allow innocent people to be wrongly convicted: unreliable eyewitness identification, the historical use of "police verbals" and false confessions, inadequate legal representation, and the unique challenges faced by First Nations Australians navigating a justice system not built with their language or culture in mind.
Neil Mercer is the author of <a href="https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/book/Neil-Mercer-Falsely-Convicted-9781761472978">Falsely Convicted: True Stories of Injustice in Australia</a>.&nbsp;
Want to hear more from Neil Mercer? Listen to his other interviews with Gary on I Catch Killers&nbsp;<a href="https://pod.fo/e/26c80e">here</a> and <a href="https://pod.fo/e/26c80d">here</a>.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@ICatchKillers-Podcast">You can watch I Catch Killers on Youtube here.&nbsp;</a>
Follow I Catch Killers: Instagram:<a href="https://www.instagram.com/icatchkillers/?hl=en"> @icatchkillers </a>Tiktok:<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@icatchkillerspodcast"> @icatchkillerspodcast </a>Facebook:<a href="https://www.facebook.com/icatchkillers/"> @icatchkillers</a>
Email the show at icatchkillers@news.com.au

After 25 years working homicide, former Detective Gary Jubelin is sitting across the interview room table from cops, crims, and victims.

After 25 years working in homicide, former Detective Chief Inspector Gary Jubelin is sitting down across the interview room table from cops, crims, addicts, victims, small-time cheats and big-town lawyers, asking them to share their stories. 

One of the country’s most successful podcasts, I Catch Killers reveals the reality of life and death inside the justice system. Gary talks about the big things with an open mind - good and evil, hope and suffering, joy, tragedy - and redemption. 

 

After 25 years working in homicide, former Detective Chief Inspector Gary Jubelin is sitting down across the interview room table from cops, crims, addicts, victims, small-time cheats and big-town lawyers, asking them to share their stories.&nbsp;
One of the country&rsquo;s most successful podcasts, I Catch Killers reveals the reality of life and death inside the justice system. Gary talks about the big things with an open mind - good and evil, hope and suffering, joy, tragedy - and redemption.&nbsp;
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After 25 years working in homicide, former Detective Chief Inspector Gary Jubelin is sitting down across the interview room table from cops, crims, addicts, victims, small-time cheats and big-town lawyers, asking them to share their stories.

I Catch Killers with Gary Jubelin

After 25 years working in homicide, former Detective Chief Inspector Gary Jubelin is sitting down across the interview room table from cops, crims, addicts, victims, small-time cheats and big-town lawyers, asking them to share their stories. 

One of the country’s most successful podcasts, I Catch Killers reveals the reality of life and death inside the justice system. Gary talks about the big things with an open mind - good and evil, hope and suffering, joy, tragedy - and redemption. 

After 25 years working in homicide, former Detective Chief Inspector Gary Jubelin is sitting down across the interview room table from cops, crims, addicts, victims, small-time cheats and big-town lawyers, asking them to share their stories.&nbsp;
One of the country&rsquo;s most successful podcasts, I Catch Killers reveals the reality of life and death inside the justice system. Gary talks about the big things with an open mind - good and evil, hope and suffering, joy, tragedy - and redemption.&nbsp;

The innocent cop falsely labelled as a serial rapist: Neil Mercer Pt. 2

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/2fb3740d-3436-44af-8cc0-a91900716aa5/clips/34ed3713-5a01-43d7-a5fe-b4b00053b430/transcript