Shortcut: Never To Be Released?

January 25, 2026·15 min·1 clip

Four co-accused all pointed to photo number seven, identifying Shorty Wells—not Jamison—as the real culprit.

This episode features criminal lawyer and former MP Peter Breen discussing his book "Shorty, Mistaken Identity or Stitch Up," which examines New South Wales' "cementing in" laws. Breen argues these laws, which deny parole to certain offenders, represent a problematic legislative overreach into judicial power. He focuses on two notorious 1980s cases: the murders of Anita Cobby in 1986 and Janine Balding in 1988. The "cementing in" legislation was a direct political response to the horrific group murders of Anita Cobby and, two years later, Janine Balding. Breen contends that Stephen "Shorty" Jamison, convicted for the Balding murder, may be innocent and was misidentified. He notes that Jamison's four co-accused, including Matthew Elliott and Bronson Blessington, allegedly told police they had arrested "the wrong Shorty" and identified another individual from photos. Breen highlights a disputed police record of interview, which experts suggest could not be a verbatim account from Jamison due to his cognitive limitations from fetal alcohol syndrome. Similarly, Breen raises questions about Gary Murphy's conviction in the Anita Cobby case, noting co-offenders also claimed he was not present. Detective Kevin Rau, involved in both cases, signed the contested records of interview for Jamison and Les Murphy. A compelling insight is that Bronson Blessington, arrested at 14, received the longest sentence given to a child in Australia since convict times. Despite being deemed suitable for release by parole boards and psychiatrists, those "cemented in" cannot be freed under the special laws. Breen argues the absence of hope for release can make incarcerated individuals more dangerous, yet notes Jamison, Blessington, and Elliott have behaved impeccably in prison. He draws a parallel to the UK, where a Criminal Cases Review Commission has overturned hundreds of wrongful convictions, a body he advocates for in Australia. The discussion expands to current political debates, noting a Victorian premier's push for tougher juvenile sentencing, which Breen views as a potential repeat of past mistakes. The tone is a detailed, investigative conversation focused on legal and systemic analysis. The style is educational and advocacy-oriented, stemming from Breen's prolonged personal involvement with the cases. This episode will deeply interest listeners passionate about criminal justice reform, forensic legal details, and potential miscarriages of justice. Those primarily seeking straightforward true crime narrative or who are sensitive to graphic case details may prefer to skip it.

As heard by us

A grim legal challenge to never-release sentences, built around disputed police interviews and two notorious New South Wales murders.

Australian True Crime steps into one of New South Wales' most charged legal arguments: whether the outrage after the murders of Anita Cobby in 1986 and Janine Balding in 1988 helped harden a system that left no real path back for some prisoners.

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