Bittersweet for brothers in arms – The verdict: [1 – All-round Country Edition]
John Stapleton, Caitlin Fitzimmons. The Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 08 Aug 2003: 7.
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Abstract
“He’s got his just desserts,” Mr Howard said. “The sooner he’s off this world, the better.” Jane Mavroudis, who lost her brother Dave, said she felt numb. “Whatever happens, it will never bring my brother back — our lives have changed forever.” President of the Coogee Dolphins Albert Talarico said Mr de Haart and Mr [Daniel Mortensen] were heroes to the families of the deceased for the work they had done in identifying the bodies and helping to bring them home. “A lot who knew the boys will be satisfied that he is being executed, in the same way he executed their teammates.” The six Coogee Dolphins who died were Josh Iliffe, Shane Foley, Clint Thompson, Adam Howard, David Mavroudis and Gerard Yeo.
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FOR the players of the Coogee Dolphins Rugby League Club, who lost six of their teammates in the Bali bombings, the verdict was bittersweet.
Erik de Haart, who was two minutes away from the Sari Club when the bombs went off and spent hours searching through body parts to identify his teammates, said he was a little disappointed.
“I want Amrozi to suffer the same way the families suffered,” he said. “I am glad there is a result at long last. I think everyone connected with Bali will be pleased in one aspect; it is the beginning of the end of the affair. But I would like to see him suffer. I would like to see him put in a small hole in the ground for the rest of his life.” In the immediate aftermath of the bombing, Mr de Haart and teammate Daniel Mortensen went through the Bali morgue identifying the bodies of their friends.
“We found five out of six,” Mr de Haart recalled. “The sixth was a bit of burnt torso no one could identify. We checked every arm, every leg, every body.
“I rang the families to say we had found them. I have since sat down with the families and told them what happened. It has helped me to cope.” Mr Mortensen said he believed Amrozi had to get the death penalty to help stamp out terrorism. “I am happy he got death, he took so many lives,” he said. “I believe in an eye for an eye. He should get what’s coming to him. I am happy about it, very happy, he is a terrorist, get rid of him.” Mr Mortensen left the Sari Club an hour before theblast. He said he had lost six friends and “even now it is starting to come back, not just because of the trial, it is part of the healing process”.
Don and Joyce Howard, whose son Adam was one of the six players to die in the blast, were pleased at the verdict.
“He’s got his just desserts,” Mr Howard said. “The sooner he’s off this world, the better.” Jane Mavroudis, who lost her brother Dave, said she felt numb. “Whatever happens, it will never bring my brother back — our lives have changed forever.” President of the Coogee Dolphins Albert Talarico said Mr de Haart and Mr Mortensen were heroes to the families of the deceased for the work they had done in identifying the bodies and helping to bring them home. “A lot who knew the boys will be satisfied that he is being executed, in the same way he executed their teammates.” The six Coogee Dolphins who died were Josh Iliffe, Shane Foley, Clint Thompson, Adam Howard, David Mavroudis and Gerard Yeo.