The Execution of Ronald Ryan: Australia's Last Capital Punishment
Ronald Ryan was executed on February 3, 1967, marking the last instance of capital punishment in Australia. This pivotal event initiated extensive public debate regarding the practice of capital punishment across the nation.
Ryan, initially convicted of burglary, received a mandatory death sentence. This followed his conviction for shooting and killing a prison guard during an escape from Pentridge Prison in Melbourne in 1965. Though the Victorian government typically commuted death sentences to life imprisonment, then-Premier Henry Bolte controversially declined to do so for Ryan.
A History of Crime and a Fatal Escape
In the late 1950s, Ryan led a group engaged in burglaries of factories and shops in Melbourne. He was arrested in late 1964 and subsequently sentenced to eight years in prison.
In December 1965, Ryan and another inmate successfully escaped from Pentridge Prison. During the escape, a prison guard was fatally shot.
The identity of the shooter remained a point of contention, with both Ryan, his accomplice, and other prison officers present during the exchange of gunfire.
On the Run and Apprehension
Ryan and his accomplice evaded capture for 17 days. During this period, a bank robbery occurred, and Ryan's accomplice shot a truck driver.
They were apprehended on January 5, 1966, in Sydney, following a police tip. During their subsequent trial, Ryan and his accomplice pleaded not guilty to the prison guard's murder. After nearly two weeks, the jury ultimately convicted Ryan of murder.
Doubts, Appeals, and Public Outcry
Victorian Supreme Court judge John Stark, who presided over Ryan's trial, openly expressed doubts about the prosecution's case and personally opposed capital punishment. However, he was legally obligated to impose the mandatory death sentence for murder.
Ryan's legal team appealed the decision, first unsuccessfully in the Victorian Supreme Court, and then again in the High Court of Australia.
Public opposition to Ryan's execution mounted, but it did not lead to a commutation of the death sentence by Premier Bolte. On the day before the execution, large gatherings formed outside Pentridge Prison. Tragically, Ryan's daughters were not permitted a final visit. He was executed at Pentridge Prison as scheduled.