30 Facts About Robert Farquharson

Robert Donald William Farquharson was born on 1969 and is an Australian man convicted of murdering his three sons on 4 September 2005, by deliberately driving his car into a farm dam.

Robert Farquharson was released on bail on 21 December, but was again convicted of murder on 22 July 2010.

Helen Garner published This House of Grief as a response to the crime and the ensuing trials, in which Robert Farquharson is heavily depicted.

Robert Farquharson met Cindy Gambino in February 1990 and the two began a relationship.

In 1996, Robert Farquharson took a redundancy package from his employer and bought a lawn-mowing franchise servicing his local area, a venture which lost him A$40,000.

Robert Farquharson had avoidant personality disorder and bouts of depression, and sought the assistance of a psychologist and later a psychiatrist to deal with the separation.

Robert Farquharson was prescribed the antidepressants sertraline and later mirtazapine.

Robert Farquharson managed to escape and alerted another driver who took him to nearby Winchelsea.

Robert Farquharson was not there at the time but presented himself at the Geelong police station in the presence of his lawyer.

Robert Farquharson was arrested and charged with three counts of murder.

Robert Farquharson had previously requested and undertook a lie detector test, the results of which are inadmissible in court.

Robert Farquharson later appeared in the Geelong Magistrates Court, where he was remanded in custody and ordered to appear before the court on 7 April 2006.

Police alleged that Robert Farquharson was in control of the vehicle in the moments before it crashed into the dam and that he earlier told a friend, Greg King, that he had intended to kill his children to get back at his wife.

Robert Farquharson was later granted bail and released from custody.

Robert Farquharson's car was found to pull slightly to the right, though not to the degree that would counteract the left-veering force according to Urquhart.

Robert Farquharson said his friend spoke of seeking revenge on his former wife and of wanting to "take away the things that mean the most to her", meaning the children.

King recalled Robert Farquharson complaining how his wife had taken the newer of the two cars.

Matthew Naughton, an associate professor and specialist in sleep and respiratory medicine, told the jury that it was highly unlikely Robert Farquharson had had a coughing fit in the moments before the accident.

Robert Farquharson further testified that coughing to the point of blacking out is an extremely rare condition, known as cough syncope, and that Farquharson was unlikely to have had such an attack while driving given the warmth of his vehicle.

Robert Farquharson later conceded that he had never seen cough syncope, would not know how to take a history to determine it and was skeptical even of its existence, a consideration not backed up by others in the same sphere of medicine.

Robert Farquharson relied upon the defence of losing consciousness due to a coughing fit and told police that he woke up in the dam.

Robert Farquharson said that the car had begun to submerge when his son Jai tried to free himself by opening the passenger door.

Robert Farquharson said this could be explained by the right camber of the road towards the dam as well as the fact that the car had poor wheel alignment, meaning it would move uncontrolled to the right.

Steinfort has seen cases of cough syncope and believed the symptoms experienced by Robert Farquharson were a "classic" example.

The day before the verdict came in, Robert Farquharson arranged for flowers to be laid at the grave of his children.

On 16 November 2007, Robert Farquharson was sentenced to three terms of life imprisonment without parole.

Robert Farquharson then announced that he intended to appeal his convictions.

On 17 December 2009, Robert Farquharson's conviction was unanimously overturned by the three appeal judges.

Gambino told her story to Australian magazine Woman's Day, saying that she did not believe Robert Farquharson had killed their children, but later changed her mind.

The 60 Minutes piece was prompted by a joint investigation done by The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald, whose five part podcast, Trial By Water, questions whether or not Robert Farquharson was unfairly convicted.