MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO 1988 GAY HATE KILLING OF SCOTT JOHNSON IN SYDNEY

Glad this is finally solved after so many years.

He was cute! What a pity.

He got away with it for decades

There is a lot that is unusual about this case. The killer was only 15 or 16 when he struck. It's only the fact the victim's brother was extremely rich that they were able to keep this case from being buried by the police, which is what happened when so many other gays were murder victims in Sydney during the seventies and eighties.

So many gay men were attacked than pushed over cliff .

Didn't they think, "so many gay men are being pushed off this cliff, maybe I shouldn't go cruising there"?

R5 but what about TRANS!!!!!!

You ancient white fags!

Is this what "Deep Water" was based on?

Yes, R8. I have spoken to some Sydneysiders who were active on the gay scene during this time, and this subject invariably brings up a lot of bad memories for them, like a dark shadow looming over what was a fairly joyous time. I did not live in Sydney during the gay 80s. Although I would loved to have.

Late last year The Age did an excellent 5-part series on the Sydney clifftop murders. It sets the scene, and gives some background of how Bondi became the place for up-and-coming and creme of the crop Australian gays, unfortunately some of whom were slain.

So he tried to cruise a teen and was murdered? Good fucking riddance.

Scott Johnson was beautiful!

They called it 'rolling fags' bashing gays then rolling them off cliffs.

[quote]” a gay cruising spot in North Head, Manly”

What do you expect when you name a place “Manly”?!?

Gaylings, this is what it was like for us in the 80s and 90s. You want to know why we weren't "out and proud"? This was why. We could lose our jobs. We could lose our apartments. We could lose our friends and families. We could lose our lives! Life sucked as a gay man. Feel blessed that YOU don't live that way.

R15 - Thanks for remembering and for the WAKE UP CALL. It could all be back sooner than any of us could believe.

No R11 the teen went to North Head with the express purpose of “killing a fag”.

Fuck you.