His friends called him “Skinny John”. On May 6, 1989, John Gordon’s Hughes’ body was found in Potts’s Point apartment, which police described as “especially brutal”.
His hands and feet were bound with electrical cords. A pink pillowcase was placed over his head and a leather belt strangled him.
The 45-year-old was known by friends and colleagues to be a “passive, kind, generous and generous” gay man. NSW lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) people heard on Tuesday.
Hughes’ former flatmate Ian Jones was indicted for Hughes’ murder in 1990 and tried in 1992 in the Supreme Court of New South Wales.
“Despite that acquittal, my contention is that Mr. Jones was likely responsible for Mr. Hughes’ death,” said Kathleen, one of four attorneys assisting with the investigation. Mr Heath said on Tuesday.
According to Heath, Jones was motivated by an “anti-LGBTIQ bias,” along with a desire to rob Hughes, a “low-level dealer in heroin and other drugs,” and to take revenge for property disputes. Hughes’ bank passbook was found in Jones’ jacket.
On Tuesday, the investigation began its third round of hearings, examining three deaths, including Hughes’ murder. These were investigated by Strikeforce Parabel, a NSW Police investigation into possible gay-hate motives involved between 1976 and 2000. bias.
A lawyer who assisted the investigation told NSW Supreme Court Judge John Sucker that the deaths of two other men Parabel reviewed, Graham Painter and Russell Payne, were likely unfortunate. .
Heath said homophobic bias was likely a contributing factor to Hughes’ death, stating that “Mr. Hughes’ homophobic status led Mr. Jones to perceive him as an unprotected target.” We can hypothesize: by the police and the courts.”
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/potts-point-murder-showed-signs-of-anti-lgbtiq-bias-inquiry-hears-20230207-p5cifm.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_national_nsw John Hughes murder showed signs of anti-LGBTIQ bias