Andrew Mark Mallard (16 August 1962 – 18 April 2019) was a British-born Australian who was wrongfully convicted of murder in 1995 and sentenced to life imprisonment.
[2] Mallard died on 18 April 2019 in Los Angeles, the home area of his fiancée, at about 1:30 am local time, after being involved in a hit and run.
[4] The Mallards immigrated to Perth in 1967, and Andrew, unusually tall for his age, had trouble settling in to their new life, and was bullied throughout his school-life.
[4] Leaving school at 16, by 18 he was unemployed and often spent his time smoking marijuana and at nightclubs, and unsuccessfully attempted to join the army, before briefly trying to return to the UK.
[4] His experiences affected him psychologically, and therapy helped him gain enough confidence to move out of home, but by May 1994 he was homeless and living temporarily at his "girlfriend's" flat in Mosman Park.
[4] Pamela Lawrence, a business proprietor on Glyde Street, Mosman Park, was attacked at her jewellery shop, called "Flora Metallica", on the afternoon of 23 May 1994.
[4] At 6:15 pm Lawrence's husband, Peter, became worried when she had not returned home and tried unsuccessfully to call the shop, then drove to the premises and found her barely alive.
The evidence used in Mallard's trial was therefore scanty and obscure, and it was later revealed that police manipulated or withheld vital information (including an undercover operation) from his defence team.
In 1998, Mallard's family enlisted the help of investigative journalist Colleen Egan, who in turn managed to get John Quigley MLA and Malcolm McCusker QC involved.
However, in announcing that the trial would not proceed the DPP stated:"Finally, I note for the record and for the future that this decision is made on evidence presently available to the prosecution.
The review quickly located a record of a palm print which matched that of Simon Rochford, who had confessed to murdering his girlfriend, Brigitta Dickens, on 15 July 1994, seven weeks after Mrs Lawrence was killed.
However, on 22 November 2006, the Adelaide Advertiser carried an AAP story stating that Mallard had received a AUD$200,000 ex gratia payment as partial compensation.
In spring 1997, David Caporn, who was instrumental in Mallard's arrest and conviction, had taken over WA Macro Taskforce's "dud" investigation into the Claremont serial killings for two years and later rose to the rank of assistant police commissioner.
[6][7] The Commission on Crime and Corruption (CCC) announced that it was studying the report of the cold case review and would be holding public hearings in 2007.
On 7 October 2008 the CCC announced its recommendations that disciplinary action be taken against two assistant police commissioners and the deputy director of public prosecution.