REAL LIVES

Cindy Gambino makes a rare visit last week after the second trial to the dam where her three sons drowned in 2005.

after the first verdict in the For years Cindy Gambino defended her ex-husband, who Victorian Supreme Court, sobbing that a grave miscarriage was found guilty of murdering their three kids on Father’s of justice had been done and that an innocent dad was behind Day. But she realised the shocking truth at his second trial bars for a crime he hadn’t committed – not believing that hree years ago, Cindy says of her initial defence marriage, not able to see the the whole time he was guilty.’ shattered mum Cindy of her ex-husband. ‘But I was in bitter, vindictive person he’d Back then, the devastated T Gambino collapsed so much pain after losing the become,’ says Cindy cuddling mum’s unshakeable belief in her in anguish when her former children that those first couple baby son, Isaiah, nine months, ex-husband’s innocence and her husband was jailed for life of years were a blur, and denial and Hezekiah, three, at the home role in the campaign to free him for murdering their three was my only way of surviving.’ she now shares with her partner was met with disbelief. ‘I received boys by driving his car into Stephen Moules, 43, and stepsons hate mail, and someone even an icy dam on Father’s Day. NEW REALISATIONS Zach, 14, and Luke, 13. confronted me in the shops saying She refused to accept the In an exclusive interview, the ‘I was rushed to hospital I must be blind,’ she recalls. tragic loss of her young sons was heartbroken mum tells New Idea the ultimate act of revenge. But how being forced to relive the two weeks ago, after a new trial horror of that fateful day in found Robert Farquharson guilty September 2005 has helped her a second time for the drowning accept the truth behind her boys’ deaths of sons Jai, 10, Tyler, senseless murders. seven, and Bailey, two, Cindy’s And she reveals how niggling tears were only for her children. doubts and new evidence sparked In a remarkable turnaround, the change that saw her turn her she welcomed the verdict as a back on the man whose name sign that justice had been done. she once fought to clear. ‘Looking back now, I wonder ‘I suppose I kept thinking of SHOCK TURNAROUND what on earth I was thinking,’ the Rob I’d known during our

Cindy’s sons, Jai, I NOW KNOW HE killed my boys Bailey and Tyler. 28 5 , Tuesday, August 15, 2006 + news.com.au/heraldsun Father on three murder charges REAL LIVES

Wife: he’s Dean Jones Jones cops no killer Tragedy: Jai, Bailey and Tyler Farquharson. sack ... Kate Uebergang

A MAN accused of again murdering his three sons when their fam- Jim Wilson ily car plunged into a dam on Father’s Day DEAN Jones has been dumped by an Indian TV was a devoted dad network for the presti- with a heart of gold, gious Champions Trophy his former wife said tournament in October. yesterday. Jones has been in- Cindy Gambino told formed that his services Magistrates’ are not required following Court she did not believe his terrorist remark about Robert Farquharson de- South African player and liberately killed Jai, 10, devout Muslim Hashim Tyler, 7, and Bailey, 2. Amla during the second The boys drowned on Test in Sri Lanka. September 4 last year But the former Test when the car their father batsman may also lose his was driving careered off commentary role at a ser- the ies involving in while they were return- Malaysia next month. ing to their mother’s It follows the decision home in Winchelsea after by Dubai-based network 3 2 1 B F an access visit. Ten Sports to tear up ‘‘I believe with all my Jones’s contract, which is heart that this was just believed to be worth an accident and that he around $200,000. wouldn’t have hurt a hair on their heads,’’ Ms The on-air gaffe contin- Gambino told the court. ues to make headlines in ‘‘I don’t believe this the cricket world. was murder.’’ Jones told the Herald Ms Gambino said the Sun last week he was couple separated amic- hopeful of being retained for the coming tourna- ably about 10 months C before the tragedy, with ments in Asia. only two disagreements. But it’s believed the She said Mr Farquhar- Picture: M New partner: Cindy Gambino and Stephen Moules. Indian rights-holder for son, 37, had been con- Accused: Robert Farquharson yesterday. the Champions Trophy cerned about losing his was not prepared to let Y role as father to her new Jones return to the com-

partner, Stephen Moules, mentary box at the ICC K and was unhappy when tournament. she took possession of Jones has received a their new car in the split. much-needed boost from But Mr Farquharson the subcontinent, with never shunned his finan- former Pakistan captain PAGE 15-AUG-2006 DHS cial responsibilities to his Rashid Latif dismissing sons and ‘‘was a better claims is a father to them after we racist. ‘‘What Jones said separated’’, Ms Gambino was unfortunate, but I said in a witness state- can vouch he’s not a ra- ment tendered to court. cist,’’ Latif said. She said it was her idea ‘‘He is the one Austral- for the boys to spend ian cricketer who has got Father’s Day with their along with us. I know he dad and she dropped Trapped: the car in which the boys died. has a lot of respect for the them off about 3pm, then Drowned: the dam off Princes Highway. ‘‘I was suspicious of the Muslim faith.’’ watched as Mr Farquhar- son, gave evidence he upset at all,’’ Sen-Sgt Jai tried to open the Smith said, and was ‘‘very story he was giving me And Amla’s father has son opened his gift — a no’s house after picking had a coughing fit two that he had made at- Cindysaucepan set andmade a headlines whendoor. After freeing she him- defended herclinical’’ ex-husband, in his responses. Robert also called on the cricket him up on the side of the self he said he duck- days before Father’s Day. tempts to rescue the chil- framed photo of his sons. road, wet and disoriented, He had turned bright red ‘‘I started to get uneasy world to forgive Jones. dived several times to try dren,’’ he said. Ms Gambino said she saying he had accidentally and she feared he was . . . his demeanour, his Dr Mohamed Amla de- answered her front door driven into a dam and and rescue his sons, later appearance . . . I’ve been Mr Farquharson is fac- scribed Jones’s comment telling police his children having a stroke. Farquharsonabout 7.25pm that night drowned (left). his kids. Despite the horrorBut Sen-Sgt of Jeffrey losinghere a longthree time, he of ingher three countschildren, of mur- as unfortunate but said it 5 were his whole life and he to find her estranged Mr Farquharson Smith gave evidence didn’t seem right to me.’’ der. The preliminary was time to move on. spouse hysterical and had nothing to hide. claims that he blacked Mr Farquharson’s hair ‘‘It was an uncalled-for FIRST Several witnesses told that he became suspi- hearing to decide if he soaking wet, yelling that out after suffering a cious of Mr Farquharson did not appear to have should face trial is set to comment, but as Muslims he’d had an accident and the court Mr Farquhar- Cindy has stayedcoughing fit, waking strong up with the helpwhile questioning of himpartner at been wet andStephen was continue Moules. today before we have to learn to for- son was sick in the weeks the kids were in the water. to find the car in water. Geelong Hospital. brushed back, Sen-Sgt give, and I believe we can Witnesses told the before the tragedy. magistrate Jon Klestadt. He told police the car Smith said. learn lessons from this,’’ court they drove Mr Far- His boss, Susan Bate- ‘‘He didn’t appear to be flooded and sank when he said. quharson to Ms Gambi- Cricket and 3AW are standing by Jones and will retain his IT COULD BE YOU services over the summer. Check these details to see if you are Cronje Mystery millionaires the mystery winner: Emily Power Cindy’s nightmare began on THE $2 million winner of Victoria’s Ticket bought from DFO Lotto, Direct Census ruling biggest unclaimed Tattslotto prize is te A JUDGE yesterday ruled still a mystery, pushing the Sta The forgotten kitty includes 16 division Factory Outlet, corner Centre Dandenong pilot negligence led to a Government’s unclaimed lotto loot to one jackpots from Victoria, which have and Grange roads, Cheltenham 2002 plane crash that $256 million. gone begging since lotto began in 1972. uary phonies BOGUS census collec- killed South African crick- The lucky ticket was bought from DFO Lotto owner Shaye Giles said Valid for Tattslotto Draw 2461 on Febr Father’s Day 2005 when her tors have been picking up et captain Hansie Cronje. she had no idea who the unsuspecting 19, 2005 DFO Lotto in Cheltenham in February census forms, while some The two pilots, who also last year. millionaire was. 5, 6, 4 and died in the crash, failed to ‘‘A lot of people come in and say they Winning numbers were 38, 7, 3 are making phone calls to It adds to the hundreds of millions in dle glean information from follow procedures for a unclaimed Tattslotto prizes sitting i will go halves with me in the prize if I say 41, with supplementaries 43 and 5 it was them,’’ Ms Giles said. householders. husband collected their children missed landing approach, at the State Revenue Office. If you have the winning ticket, contact the ‘‘I continually bring it up to try to jog Head of Census Paul Cape Town High Court Outstanding Tattslotto prizes are someone’s memory. State Revenue Office, phone 132 161 Williams said no collec- judge Siraj Desai said at rolled into consolidated revenue after a the end of the inquest. ‘‘But our customers are in transit tors are authorised to year to pay for schools, hospitals, and For information on other unclaimed Division 1 prizes Cronje died at the age community services. here, we don’t get any regulars.’’ make phone calls and all A Doncaster man in his 20s yesterday since 1972, visit news.com.au/heraldsun were required to wear for an access visit. Hours later, of 32 when a light plane in But Tattersall’s spokesman Gerry which he was travelling came forward to collect last Thursday’s official identification Devine said winners could still access $9 million Powerball prize. He said he cards and carry bright crashed near the coastal their bounty at any time. town of George on June 1. bought the ticket after his mother yellow satchels. + ‘‘That means if your great- He faced possible crim- dreamt he had won. grandchild finds your ticket in the The Bureau of Statis- inal charges after con- Mr Devine urged lotto players to he stood on her doorstep dripping drawer and takes it to Tattersall’s, tics has alerted police. fessing to taking money register for a Tatts Card to prevent lost KJ/Herald Sun 15/8/06 they will then get the money back from from bookmakers and or forgotten winnings. the Government,’’ he said. wet, saying there had been an gamblers while skipper. accident and his car had veered off the road into a dam in the dark, with their children trapped inside. ‘I remember driving up there, screaming and hysterical as Stephen dived into the dam in pitch darkness, desperately trying to find the car and the kids,’ says Cindy, who was hospitalised and sedated at the time. Stephen, who hasn’t been able I realised that not once to dive into water since, later identified the bodies at the scene. did Rob ask police if RELIVING THE HORROR While Farquharson insisted they’d found his children he’d blacked out in a coughing fit, accidentally driving into the who claimed Farquharson had told Dawn who – apart from their found his children, while even dam, police later charged him him of a plot to make his wife suffer. father – was the last to see the from hospital, loaded on sedatives, with the murders. The first jury hadn’t been told boys alive, says Farquharson was I repeatedly asked if they’d been ‘I don’t remember much about King faced criminal charges, which driving erratically, but was not found. Rob only asked what was the first trial – just the verdict,’ may have questioned his credibility. coughing or unconscious. going to happen to him!’ says Cindy, 38, who remains on ‘With a new baby and toddler ‘She said he wouldn’t eyeball Cindy’s anger erupted in court a cocktail of drugs to control her to care for, I had to focus on my her, and kept staring ahead,’ says when she was shown a photo of post-traumatic stress disorder. own wounds,’ says Cindy, who Cindy. ‘After overtaking, she saw herself and her ex at the children’s ‘I couldn’t understand why Rob fell pregnant with Isaiah after him in her rear-view mirror funerals. ‘It was the Crown’s case wouldn’t let me visit him in jail, treatment for an accidental driving off the road.’ that Rob murdered the children especially when I was supporting overdose of painkillers flushed Cindy and her family live just to punish me for ending our him and was the only other out her contraceptive pill. a stone’s throw from the scene relationship, and seeing that photo person to understand his pain.’ Ironically, the second trial of the tragedy at Winchelsea, a I realised that in his puny mind As the rejection continued, the Cindy dreaded proved to be more 90-minute drive from . we were together again – united devastated mum began wondering healing than five years of therapy Agonisingly, every day Cindy in our grief… grief he’d caused!’ if her ex had something to hide and medication. Compelling new attended court she was forced to But for Cindy, the clincher was and her doubts grew. evidence confirmed Cindy’s drive past three crosses placed Farquharson’s own testimony. A new trial was ordered in doubts – particularly testimony there in memory of her sons. ‘He hadn’t given evidence at his December 2009 when the Appeal from motorist Dawn Waite who first trial and when he opened his Court ruled there had been a came forward revealing she’d FACING THE FACTS mouth I knew why – he was lying,’ miscarriage of justice at the tried to attract Farquharson’s Cindy says other evidence during she says. ‘It explained why he original trial, because the Crown attention as he drove towards the second trial also caused her to wouldn’t see me in jail, because had withheld evidence about Winchelsea that night with the think again. ‘I realised that not I’d have looked him in the eye

Styling: Louise Petch. Hair and make-up: Fotini Hatzis. Newspaper clip: The Herald and Weekly Times Photographic Collection Photographic Times Weekly and Herald The clip: Newspaper Hatzis. Fotini make-up: and Hair Petch. Louise Styling: prosecution witness Gregory King, boys squashed in the back seat. once did Rob ask police if they’d and known he was guilty.

31 REAL LIVES

Cindy and Stephen with their family, Luke, Isaiah, Hezekiah and Zach.

‘Yet in many ways the new I’d accepted they’d gone.’ trial provided the missing pieces The day after the jury retired in an awful jigsaw puzzle and I to deliberate, Cindy and Stephen could see the whole picture clearly visited St Francis’ Church in for the first time,’ she says. ‘All my Melbourne and said silent doubts vanished and my eyes prayers over their candles. were now open to what really ‘The next morning I lit another happened to my kids that night.’ candle for what would have been But while Cindy’s strength Tyler’s 12th birthday,’ Cindy says. throughout the trial amazed ‘And I was convinced if a guilty everyone, as it came to an end, verdict arrived on his birthday, it panic set in. ‘Not being in as would be his message to me that much pain the second time he and his brothers had justice.’ around, I had a different mindset An hour before the court and desperately wanted justice closed, Cindy had her sign as the for my children,’ she says. jury handed down its guilty verdict. But she wasn’t sure she could ‘It was my sign from Tyler bear to listen to a second verdict. that I now had the truth, and ‘When we told Cindy’s could let them all go,’ she says. Above: Bailey, Jai and Tyler, who drowned in 2005. Below: Three memorial crosses bear the names psychiatrist this, he said that Today, Cindy is determined of the young brothers and mark the point where Farquharson’s car veered towards the dam. would be like running a five-year that Farquharson’s ultimate marathon and going home before punishment will not prevent her the finish line,’ Stephen says. rebuilding her life. ‘I’m taking ‘So we knew we had to do it.’ control of my life,’ she says. ‘I’ve even torn up all the old A SIGN FROM ABOVE photos of Rob, something I’ve Strangely, Cindy found strength always considered bad luck, from an unexpected quarter. because it’s not possible to move ‘Early in the trial a man in forward while holding on to the the street urged me to go to past. But the truth has set me church and light three candles free to begin my recovery and I’ll for my boys,’ she recalls. ‘And start again with my memories of as it ended, a woman in the my children in my heart forever.’ street, who turned out to be a Farquharson, who received medium, stopped me and said three life terms after the first trial, the same thing. I was stunned is in custody awaiting sentence. hearing her say I had to let my By Megan Norris three boys go, and explained Photos: David Anderson

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