The Death of John Newman and the Trial of Phuong Ngo
Introduction
John Newman was a politician in Australia. On September 5, 1994, a person shot and killed him. This was the first time a politician died this way in Australia. This story is about the crime and the man the police blamed.
Main Body
In the 1990s, many people from Asia lived in Cabramatta. Some people there were poor. Some people sold illegal drugs. John Newman was a leader. He wanted to send gang members away from Australia. Phuong Ngo was another leader. He and Newman did not like each other. They both wanted the same political job. One night, Newman was at his car with his partner. A person shot Newman in the chest. Newman died. The police arrested Phuong Ngo in 1998. Ngo had three trials in court. The first two trials did not finish. In 2001, the third trial finished. The judge said Ngo planned the murder. Ngo wanted Newman's job. The court did not find the person who shot the gun. Ngo went to prison for a long time. Some people say the trial was not fair. They say the police had secret meetings. But a judge looked at the case again in 2009. The judge said the first decision was correct.
Conclusion
Phuong Ngo has been in prison for over twenty-eight years. The law says he planned the crime. However, nobody knows who actually shot John Newman.