John Polidano: Man who shot Bunbury father Allan Roy released from prison

A ruthless killer who shot a father of two in the head execution-style near Bunbury has been released from prison after more than two decades behind bars — but still denies he carried out the murder. John Polidano was serving a life sentence for the “cold” and “efficient” wilful murder of his friend, popular Bunbury father Allan Roy Flinn, 33, in September 1999. The pair met up on a dark, lonely stretch of road in Kemerton, north of Bunbury, in the early hours of September 24, where the 33-year-old was callously shot in the head three times by Polidano. At the time, Polidano claimed he was innocent man — 25 years on — he still does. He was convicted almost exclusively on a bloody tyre track which police lifted from the road and matched through a forensic re-creation with his de facto wife’s distinctive red Holden Vectra. “He wasn’t kidnapped and wasn’t tortured — he was coldly, efficiently killed,” Crown prosecutor Troy Sweeney said during the trial. Polidano — who was 43 years old at the time — was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 18 years in 2002. He appealed against his wilful murder conviction in the Court of Criminal Appeal in May 2003, when his lawyer, Philip Eaton, argued the guilty verdict was unsafe and unsatisfactory. Mr Eaton said the verdict may have been based on a statement from Polidano that he had not left his home the previous day. He later admitted delivering cannabis to Mr Flinn’s wife at their Brunswick home on the morning before the murder. Mr Eaton, who also claimed parts of Justice Kerry White’s direction to the jury were inadequate, said exhaustive forensic testing failed to prove Polidano was there. However, the court dismissed the appeal, After serving 22 years, Polidano was released on supervised parole on August 16 for three years, after completing a resocialisation program and undergoing assessment by a clinical psychologist. In a report prepared by the senior clinical psychologist, the clinician said Polidano’s stage two cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment may have resulted in some “positive life introspection”. The report noted he had “developed some insights into his interpersonal style” regarding the connection between his past substance abuse and violent behaviour. The forensic psychologist noted that although Polidano had engaged “openly and actively” throughout interventions and programs, he still denied committing the callous murder. “However, as he continued to deny committing the index offence, efforts to address his associated criminogenic issues were superficial,” the psychologist reported. “Due to his medical issues, Mr Polidano was unable to address his other criminogenic areas such as social norm violations, impulse control and substance abuse.” The forensic psychologist recommended that Polidano continue counselling once released into the community, but said that he was at low risk for violent reoffending according to a risk scale assessment tool. Polidano was diagnosed with stage two cancer while in prison and was subsequently moved from Bunbury Regional Prison to Casuarina Prison, and then returned to the southwest. A Parole Board report shows he was released into Bunbury and eventually plans to move to a friend’s home in the Perth metropolitan area. Polidano was placed on several conditions, including to not consume alcohol or drugs, to not associate with outlaw motorcycle gang members, not entering licenced premises, and attending counselling sessions. At the time, the murder revealed rampant drug-taking and dealing in the region that South West police had not been aware of. And former South-West Supt John Watson said he had no doubt other people were present when Mr Flinn was killed. Mr Flinn’s mother, Gwen Flinn-Jose, also pleaded for others who knew more about the murder of her son to come forward, saying she would never find peace until others were arrested.