The Age from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia • Page 6

BRIAN QUINN THE SENTENCE 1 i mj 1 I'M Faiee star .1 Mr 71 I jpssiivelly receives his punishment ft 1 sa But Justice Eames was also struck by what Quinn took legally from Coles Myer. Quinn's salary went from $232,000 in 1983 to $1.4 million in 1988-89. He also took a $5 million bonus in 1988. The judge called it "the height of vanity to believe that your talents had not been sufficiently rewarded it remains a criminal offence to plunder the assets of a company, whatever may be the opinion held by the thief as to his own worth to the Justice Eames noted that while Quinn had called as character witnesses the Premier, Mr Jeff Kennett, the trade union leader -Mr Bill Kelty and the businessman Mr Lindsay Fox, the witnesses that impressed him most were "those who knew you They included Quinn's youngest son, Paul. Quinn's family in court included Paul and his other son, Michael, but not his wife, Trenna.

At the Melbourne Remand Centre, Quinn's two weeks in jail while awaiting sentence caused much discussion among prisoners and officers. While the centre has a strict policy of visiting times, it is believed that Mr Quinn met Mr Lindsay Fox out of normal hours. A spokeswoman for the Police Minister, Mr Bill McGrath, would neither confirm nor deny the visit but said there were provisions for visits to prisoners for special purposes. By JAMES BUTTON Before his sentencing began, Brian Quinn looked composed, almost cheerful. He sat forward in the dock, hands clasped, then through the liars squeezed fingers with his daughter-in-law, Ms Penny Quinn.

He spoke briefly with his tiarrister, waved at a friend in the crowded Supreme Court and winked at another. But over the 35 minutes in which Justice Geoffrey Eames read his reasons for sentencing, Quinn remained passive. He sat back, legs crossed and watched the judge. He showed no emotion, even when sentenced, but his earlier energy had left him. Like a director straight from the boardroom, Quinn wore a double-breasted grey suit with a blue handkerchief emerging in a triangle from the breast pocket, a' striped blue and white shirt and a burgundy tie.

He returned to prison in a tracksuit. I In court, he was impassive as he heard himself called a thief and, in the view of a forensic psychologist, a "shattered man" -i but also one who had shown n. remorse for his crime. He hjard his family praised for having "stood by you in this your rrijDst awful 'Sketching Quinn's life from Cales store man to model businessman to criminal, Justice Eames said he found "particular in the public humili-algbn which accompanies the conviction of a person who hitherto has been so well- .11 i -U got, and you've got to wear it. Do the crime and you've got to do the time," he said.

The Premier, Mr Jeff Kennett, said yesterday he had no doubt that Quinn would adjust to his changed circumstances. Mr Kennett, speaking before the sentence was imposed, said it was a sad day for Quinn, I for whom he gave character evidence. "The human being is an amazing, resilient animal we all change under different environments and rise up to different challenges. I have no doubt that he will address himself and adjust to the change of circumstances. "I would expect, as he did in private life, he'll conduct him- self with dignity and hopefully come out to the end of whatever period he is sentenced to stronger and wiser," Mr Kennett said.

about a possible appeal. He said Quinn will today see a forensic psychologist, Dr Tim Watson-Munro, who gave evidence that Quinn was suffering from a reactive depression. He said Quinn's wife, Mrs Trenna Quinn, did not attend court at the request of her husband and his lawyers. Mr Bingham said she was not coping exceptionally well but had been subjected to an unrelenting three-year biased attack by the media. Quinn's co-conspirator, Mr Graham Lanyon, who was the main prosecution witness and served four months in jail for his part in the offence, said he did not want to comment on Quinn's sentence because that was a decision for the judge.

"It's not a situation where I'm sitting back and gloating on it. We're not vindictive people and what he's got, he's Quinn is still positive and coping admirably, says son By PETER GREGORY One of Brian Quinn's three sons said outside the Supreme Court yesterday that his father had been inspirational in the way he had coped with the case that led to him being jailed for four years. Mr Michael Quinn, who was in court to see his father sentenced, told Journalists: "For us, the damage has been done in the public arena and so on, but we're taking it and we're going to be positive about the future. He is and he's coping with it admirably." Mr llruce Bingham, a retired police superintendent and the father-in-law of Brian Quinn's daughter, said outside court he was disappointed Quinn was convicted but said the sentence was probably fair. Mr Bingham, who gave character evidence for Quinn, said discussions would be held At $85 per person per night, everyone's going to want a bed in the Park 1 F1 ll-lhjSJ ft.yin RIGHT lita i fry mm price 205 UPP8K IVANHOS MW1114 COLLECT 1 DEBTS I FASTI jii No Recovery No Charge 1800 641617 1 IpePn Ladies Mens NMCTORY OUTLET I Mon 10 i pm I Thar 12 pm I pm 1 FrM1lMi-2pm 9MGIintnntlyRd Imi South Cwltiild Pljfj 33" Allow us to wvlVuniL- you to i lu of Sydney and accommodate you in one of our studio suites for only $HS per person per including a hot huffcl breakfast.

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