The Herald newspaper further gave the impression that Ross was guilty and printed not only his photograph, but also the contact details of the jury.

[2] Brennan was firmly convinced that Ross was innocent and tried in vain to appeal the case up to the Privy Council.

Haunted by guilt over his failure to save his client, Brennan wrote a book detailing his perspectives on the case, The Gun Alley Murder.

He was appointed a King's Counsel (KC) in 1928 and was made a Doctor of Laws in 1935 for a thesis published as Interpreting the Constitution.

In 1931, he was appointed to a fill a casual vacancy in the Senate, representing the United Australia Party in 1931 and gained re-election in the 1931 election.