The true story of a high-profile suburban murder:
one of the last to allow the defence of provocation
ALLEN AND UNWIN MEDIA RELEASE
GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER
The true story of Julie Ramage's death
PHIL CLEARY
James Ramage was a prosperous man. And like all prosperous
men, he owned things;
a nice house in middle class suburb, a successful business,
a healthy bank account.
He had two teenagers at elite private schools and an attractive
wife: to outsiders it seemed James Ramage had everything. Then
one day, while he was overseas, Julie Ramage left him.
Six weeks after the separation Ramage bashed and strangled
his wife to death and buried her in a shallow grave. At his
trial, he told the court he couldn't bear the thought of her
leaving, and that she had said the thought of having sex with
him was 'repulsive' and that her new boyfriend was better in
bed. There was outrage when a Victorian court found that Julie
Ramage had contributed to her own death by provoking her husband
to murder.
In Getting Away with Murder, Phil Cleary tells Julie's side
of the story and captures the depth of the tragedy. A well-known
media identity, Phil has campaigned against the defence of provocation
since the devastating murder of his 25-year-old sister in 1987,
and the provocation defence that resulted in the murderer serving
only three years in jail. In a remarkable coincidence, the Ramage
case unfolded at the very time the law of provocation was crumbling.
This powerful and gripping book shows just how the Australian
criminal justice system has betrayed the victims of these violent
crimes and why the law has no place in a civilised society.
PHIL CLEARY IS AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW
Phil Cleary is a former independent member of Federal Parliament
and Victorian football legend. He contributes regularly to the
daily newspapers and radio, and has a national profile as a
speaker and campaigner against the criminal justice system's
treatment of violence against women.
Published by Allen & Unwin on 9 September 2005
No review or extract may appear before this date without approval
$22.95 pb ISBN: 1 74114 691 7
