Scott White Sentenced to 9 Years for 1988 Manslaughter of Scott Johnson in Sydney

Scott White was sentenced to nine years in prison for the manslaughter of Scott Johnson in Sydney, Australia back in 1988. Reports say White punched Johnson following an argument which made the victim fall off a cliff.

On June 8, Australian Scott White, 52, was sentenced to 9 years in prison in connection with the death of American Scott Johnson in 1988. Reports say White had pleaded guilty of murder in 2022 and was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison. However, White changed his mind and had the conviction overruled on appeal.

Nonetheless, an article in CBS News states that Scott White pleaded guilty of manslaughter in the Supreme Court of New South Wales which ended the Johnson family’s battle for justice for 35 years. However, since White had already served part of his sentence, he will be qualified for release on parole in 2026.

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Scott Johnson’s Death

An article in AP News states that on December 10, 1988, Scott White, then 18, met Johnson at a pub and they both went for a walk along North Head in Sydney, Australia. However, following a heated argument, White allegedly punched Johnson which made him stagger backward and fall off a cliff to his death.

Johnson’s death was initially considered to be a suicide. However, the authorities conducted an investigation and in 2012, they suspected that the incident was a gay hate crime. Nonetheless, Justice Helen Wilson, whose murder conviction was overruled, discovered that there was not enough evidence that Scott White’s actions were motivated by Johnson’s sexuality.

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