Alan Hall has received New Zealand’s biggest ever payout for a wrongful conviction - $4.9 million – after spending 19 years in prison for a murder he never committed.
1News understands the retired High Court judge Rodney Hansen, who assessed Hall’s claim, found him innocent on the balance of probabilities of the 1985 murder of Arthur Easton.
Hall received an apology from the Crown this morning.
Hall spent 19 years in prison after he was wrongfully convicted of Arthur Easton's 1985 murder. (Source: 1News)
Family reacts
The Hall family is relieved to see the end of a “dreadful” 38-year legal battle.
“The money is secondary to this result of innocence for my brother,” Geoff Hall, Alan’s younger brother, told 1News.
He said his brother’s reaction to it was “it’s just another day”.
In a statement provided to 1News the family paid tribute to Shirley Hall, Alan's mother, who fought for her son's release up until her death in 2012.
"Of most significance to us is the Government's acceptance of what Alan and his family have known all along - that he is innocent. Alan's mother Shirley, his greatest champion, fought for decades to hear those words. That she is not present today to hear them finally spoken makes this moment bittersweet."
"It is just one of the permanent consequences of Alan's wrongful conviction that cannot be undone. Alan was 24 when he was arrested. He is now 61. With the announcement today, Alan can now focus on what was denied to him for decades, building his life as a free man.
"Before she died, Shirley was asked what her hopes for Alan were. She said she wanted his name cleared so that he could again hold his head up high. We can now tell her, 'Mum, we did it. Your wish has come true'."
Hall was accused of murdering Easton, a postal worker, during a violent home invasion in Auckland's Papakura on October 13 1985.
Geoff Hall said the family’s thoughts are with the Eastons. They still have no answers for who killed the father of five.
"We also want to acknowledge Arthur Easton's family. We know for them justice is still to be delivered for Arthur, and we sincerely hope that ongoing investigations can find those responsible for Arthur's death and hold them accountable. "
The $4,933,725.75 in compensation works out to be about $260,000 for every year Alan Hall spent in jail.
It eclipses other pay-outs for wrongful conviction including the $950,000 paid to Arthur Alan Thomas and the $3.5m paid to Teina Pora.
Conviction quashed
Hall’s case is one of New Zealand’s worst miscarriages of justice. He endured four failed appeals and his name was only cleared last year when he was 60.
The Supreme Court quashed Hall’s conviction after the Crown admitted an important piece of evidence had been “unjustifiably” altered, leading to a miscarriage of justice.
A key witness statement had been changed to remove the description of a man seen fleeing the scene as Māori – Hall is Pākehā.
But two crucial pieces of evidence found at the scene linked Hall to the murder - a military-style bayonet and woollen hat.
In a police interview Hall admitted he owned the bayonet and had borrowed the hat from his brother, but gave inconsistent accounts for why he didn’t have either in his possession on the night of the murder.
The family believe the items were stolen but never filed a police report.
In 2019 Hall was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder – offering an explanation for his inconsistent stories.
On one occasion he was interrogated for 15 hours. The Crown now accepts it’s likely the interviews became unfair and oppressive.
The legal travesty has sparked multiple investigations into the conduct of police and lawyers who worked on the case.
The Solicitor General, as head of Crown Law, referred an independent report to police for further investigation late last year - as yet no-one has been held to account for what happened to Alan Hall or Arthur Easton.
Unreserved apology
Acting Justice Minister Deborah Russell said: "The Government accepts Mr Hall’s innocence, and apologises unreservedly for his wrongful convictions and imprisonment."
She said the apology and compensation can't completely make up for the the injustice Hall suffered.
"But I hope they go some way in helping Mr Hall rebuild his life and will enable him to pursue the things he wants to," she said.
“New Zealand has a strong justice system, one which New Zealanders can continue to have faith in. On this occasion, an injustice was delivered to Mr Hall, and we are acknowledging that today.”
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