An Australian man who admitted killing a gay American by punching him off a cliff top in Sydney in 1988 was sentenced on Thursday to nine years in prison, ending the family of the victim's 35-year battle for justice.
By RICK RYCROFT and ROD McGUIRKSteve Johnson, center, the brother of Scott Johnson, walks with his wife Rosemarie, left, and daughter Tessa outside the New South Wales Supreme Court in Sydney, Thursday, June 8, 2023. Scott Phillip White, the man who admitted killing American mathematician Scott Johnson by punching him from a cliff top at a gay meeting place in Sydney in 1988 was sentenced to nine years in prison.
He was pressured into a plea deal after police intercepted a prison phone call between White and a niece in October last year in which he confessed to striking his victim at the cliff top.Having already served part of his sentence, White will be eligible for release on parole in 2026. “I think our family’s got some peace and I would even say closure,” Steve Johnson told reporters outside the court after the sentencing with his wife Rosemarie and daughter Tessa.
Police Chief Inspector Peter Yeomans congratulated Steve Johnson, whom he considers a “good friend,” on his campaign.
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