Jean Priest
By Belinda Nolan
Sunshine Lions Club president Jean Priest met with the Attorney General’s office last week to appeal for financial help after the Supreme Court ordered her to pay paedophile Derek Percy’s legal bills.
Ms Priest, 72, had been battling to force Percy to give evidence at the inquest into the disappearance of her daughter Linda Stilwell, who was seven when she was abducted from St Kilda beach in 1968.
The inquest, held in 2009, found that Percy had been in the vicinity of St Kilda beach on the day Linda vanished.
But the Deputy Coroner ruled that Percy should not have to give evidence due to his mental state.
But the grieving mum is now facing bankruptcy after losing her second appeal on 25 January.
She had planned to appeal in the Court of Appeal, but would have to find a further $48,000 as surety.
“I was physically sick when my barrister told me,” Ms Priest told Star last week.
“I knew there was a chance that I would have to pay something if I lost, but $32,000 is a massive amount and I just don’t have it.”
After 43 years of fighting to get answers, the ruling is the final straw for Ms Priest.
“It took more than 40 years just to get an inquest because I couldn’t get anyone to listen to me … this is just one more hurdle I have to face,” Ms Priest said.
The community crusader, who has spent more than three decades volunteering and raising money for others, is now being forced to plead for financial support, herself.
The State Government is believed to be considering helping Ms Priest, who will meet with the Attorney General’s office for a second time when she returns from Perth next week.
Percy has been imprisoned since 1969 for the killing of 12-year-old Yvonne Tuohy, for which he was found not guilty by reason of insanity.
