DPP to recommend charges in Brimble case

AAP reports that six years after the degrading death of Dianne Brimble in a cruise ship cabin, the NSW Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has named the man it believes responsible for her death.

It recommended Mark Wilhelm, who had sex with Mrs Brimble shortly before she died, should be charged with her manslaughter and supplying drugs.

The 42-year-old Brisbane mother-of-three was found lying naked, probably dying, on Wilhelm’s cabin floor, from a toxic mix of alcohol and the illicit drug fantasy.

The sordid end to her life in September 2002 came less than 24 hours after boarding the P&O liner Pacific Sky for a holiday with her 12-year-old daughter.

Two other men who were staying in the ship’s now-notorious four-man cabin D182 – Letterio “Leo” Silvestri and Ryan Kuchel – should be charged with perverting the course of justice, the DPP said.

No charges were recommended against the fourth occupant of the cabin, Mark Slade, nor any of the other men of interest in the case – Dragan Losic, Petar Pantic, Luigi Vitale and Charlie Kambouris – who were in a neighbouring cabin.

All eight men are from Adelaide.

Mrs Brimble’s ex-husband Mark Brimble was informed of the DPP’s recommendations earlier today and plans to hold a press conference with other family members in Melbourne tomorrow.

As yet, he has made no comment on the DPP statement.

The announcement should come as some relief for Mrs Brimble’s family, which has not only suffered the humiliating circumstance of her death, but also the distasteful and demeaning comments made about her by the men of interest.

Many of the tapes were released to the public during a 66-day Sydney inquest, which ended in July last year with insufficient evidence to charge “known persons”.

Wilhelm was recorded as saying it was easier to blame eight guys than “one stupid woman” who tried a drug after being told about it.

“I am not saying she was not a nice woman, on that night I thought she was okay, not attractive but certainly appeared to be a reasonable, decent person,” he said.

But if he had not taken fantasy, “there is no way I would have gone within 12 feet of her”, he said.

In another recorded conversation – which Deputy NSW Coroner Jacqueline Milledge described as “absolutely important” and “crucial” – Wilhelm said: “She actually shit herself, that tells me it is all over.”

“She was very cold and clammy to touch.”

Mrs Brimble met Wilhelm and several of the other men of interest in the ship’s nightclub on that first night.

It was alleged Wilhelm gave Mrs Brimble fantasy before he was photographed having sex with her in his cabin, and she allegedly performed oral sex on Silvestri and some of her pubic hair was shaved.

When the two men later could not revive Mrs Brimble, who had defecated and was lying naked on the floor, they put her in a shower and dressed her before calling medical staff.

Silvestri told the inquest he had no memory of receiving oral sex from Mrs Brimble and was asleep when she had sex with Mr Wilhelm in the cabin.

In his police interview, he called Mrs Brimble an “ugly dog”, saying she smelled, while he later made it clear he didn’t talk to “anything that’s over 60 kilos”.

Kuchel admitted he lied in interviews after her death to cover up for Wilhelm.

Describing his friend as a “deviant”, and “off his face” on the morning of the death, he confirmed he overheard Mrs Brimble say “I’ll try some” after Wilhelm told her about fantasy.

The fourth occupant, Mark Slade, said he had taken sleeping tablets and was oblivious to the sexual activity.

Although the men in the nearby cabin were today cleared by the DPP, they will be remembered by Mrs Brimble’s family for their sleazy, outrageous and misogynistic comments.

The imposing 190cm Mr Losic admitted he had seen the graphic photographs taken of Mrs Brimble and joined in the jokes about Mr Wilhelm sleeping with “an old fat bitch”.

But he said he was “too stoned” from taking fantasy to notice she was in danger when he saw her unconscious.

The DPP said the case had been complex because the charges against Wilhelm took place in Australian waters (but not in NSW) and some of the charges against Silvestri and Kuchel took place in a foreign country.

Some of the charges against Kuchel also took place when he was in Sydney for the inquest, the DPP said.

“There were some jurisdictional issues that needed to be settled between the NSW DPP and the Commonwealth,” the statement said.

“This further delayed resolution of the matter by the NSW DPP.”

P&O Cruises Australia issued a statement yesterday saying it would continue to assist police with their investigations following the Director of Public Prosecutions’ decision to lay charges against three men over the death of Mrs Dianne Brimble in 2002.

“We cooperated fully with the NSW Coroner during the inquest into Mrs Brimble’s death and we are committed to providing the same detailed assistance to the authorities during  this next phase,” P&O Cruises Australia Chief Executive Ann Sherry said this evening.

With the matter now before the courts, P&O Cruises does not plan to make any further comments on the DPP’s decision.

Ms Sherry said P&O Cruises had overhauled its security and safety procedures since the tragic death of Mrs Brimble almost six years ago.

She said these fundamental changes covered safety, security, responsible service of alcohol and excessive behaviour.

“We are so very sorry that it was such a tragic set of circumstances in 2002 that led us to make such fundamental changes to our operations,” Ms Sherry said.

“We have completely turned around our business to create an environment on our ships where passengers – the majority of whom are now families and couples – can feel safe and enjoy their holiday”.

Other medai reports say that a senior defence lawyer says Wilhelm will contest the charge of manslaughter.

A Report by The Mole from AAP and other sources