71-Year-Old Man Sues NSW Police for False Imprisonment and Malicious Prosecution over William Tyrrell case, awarded $1.4M in damages
In the case of Spedding v State of New South Wales [2022] NSWSC 1627, William Harrie Spedding was charged with sexual assault allegations. He later claimed damages for malicious prosecution, misfeasance in public office, collateral abuse of process, and false imprisonment. Mr. Spedding was a person of interest in an investigation into the disappearance of William Tyrrell. On 19 September 2014, he attended the police station at the request of the police who were investigating the case. On January 20th, 2015, search warrants were obtained by the police in relation to Mr. Spedding's home and business premises. The police searched the premises and took Mr. Spedding's wife to the police station for questioning. Mr. Spedding was driven to the police station and participated in an electronically recorded interview that lasted more than six hours. The police believed that Mr. Spedding may have seen or taken William Tyrrell. Mr. Spedding found the interview difficult and confronting and was driven to a friend's house after the interview feeling "shaken and distressed". He later called Detective Moynihan and told him that he had bank records that showed his whereabouts on the morning of William Tyrrell's disappearance.
