'I WAS WRONGFULLY CONVICT ED OF MURDER'

JOHN SERVED FIVE YEARS IN JAIL AFTER HIS GIRLFRIEND WAS KILLED

- Jacqui Lang

It’s been more than six decades since Perth bricklayer John Button was wrongly convicted of killing his girlfriend, Rosemary Anderson.

But to this day, the pain and stress of having been blamed for running over the young woman he loved lingers on.

Found guilty of killing 17-year-old Rosemary in 1963, John served half of his 10-year sentence inside Fremantle Prison.

“It was February 9, 1963, my 19th birthday,” John recalls.

“To celebrate, Rosemary and I were at my home eating fish and chips with my younger brother Jim.

In reality, John says, Rosemary had taken the piece of fish. Offended at John’s tirade, she declared she was heading home and walked out.

Heading down the road after her, he found Rosemary lying unconscious in a pool of blood. John called for help and Rosemary was raced to hospital but she died hours later. He later found himself being interrogated by police.

Police later announced they had a ‘confession’ from John and he was charged with Rosemary's wilful murder.