Innocent man sent to jail for rape by his own fiancé | 60 Minutes Australia

dan Jones is an honest and hard-working bloke the product of an equally decent family eight years ago he met the woman he thought he'd spend the rest of his life with her name is Sarah Jane Parkinson together she and Dan planned their wedding and started building a house but just as life was looking so good Parkinson started making up vile stories about her fiance she went to police accusing dan of despicable domestic violence and rape he strenuously denied the allegations but to no avail it would take six long years and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars before the truth was finally revealed that the woman Dan thought loved him wasn't a victim but a pathological liar Dan Jones lived every man's nightmare firstly accused of rape by the woman who claimed to love him you've come from Venus innocent sweet girl to this premeditated monster Sarah Jane Parkinson had a big smile and a little girls voice when Daniel attacked me which hid a wicked heart nice team when her cunning web of lies brought down her fiance she just flipped like a complete stranger she turned on his parents you went to all yep this was a battle tent afire your enemy know who they are marceline prowlin and finish them but gullible police believed Parkinsons despicable claims the incarceration of someone is supposed to be the last resort of the law Dan Jones was thrown into June yes last words to me on that phone call well I love you son and I think here is voice breaking the Jones family destroyed my only dream in life Liz was to have nice laughs with my family around me that's all I ever wanted I didn't think that was a lot to ask with all hope lost it took one good cop to finally unmasked this serial liar and as criminals go how do you class her she'd be up with the worst [Music] it all began back in 2011 when Dan Jones then 25 met 20-year old Sarah Jane Parkinson he was an AFP officer working as a dog handler and she was an airline employee they fell in love and within months were planning their wedding and building a house she was very kind of girly and cute and innocent and very kind of a little bit old-fashioned as well as she always you know dressed very nicely she with wore nice dresses and my frocks and what kind of thing she was immaculate you know her dress her appearance her manners everything was just perfect [Music] going down to the washing machine or something but don't come more solid than the Jones family Michelle a librarian and Ian a former Navy engineer had been married 30 years and they wished the same for their son the family welcomed Parkinson into their hearts and home but within a year they began to doubt Dan's dream girl she didn't have friends and her many stories about a troubled past worried them she was raped by one of her apparently from one of her friends violence Turkish diplomat apparently raped her as well but fled the country before charges were laid and yeah apparently there's been a few other boyfriends that have been if you see if she has a had a bad lack of bad run of boyfriends any suspicions though were outweighed by sympathy and Dan forged ahead with their plans together but it all changed in 2012 when Sarah Jane Parkinson started a new job at Queanbeyan police station as a clerical assistant she started staying out with work colleagues and it's where she met her new lover a New South Wales policeman Parkinson soon began weaving an intricate web of lies claiming that she was a victim of domestic violence when Parkinson came to work with bruises police said she told them that Dan was abusing her what she failed to mention was that she suffered a heart condition which made her dizzy and tunnel vision all of which contributed to a series of household accidents and injuries she was always clumsy and we always kind of wished to give a joke so every time she'd have like a fall or she'd hurt herself or walk into something you know she'd laugh it off and you'd be just typical Sarah that's just what she did but what she was doing was giving herself a bruise or a mark and she can then weave into a tale you had no idea that behind the scenes you were being portrayed as a violent man had no idea no idea whatsoever the first stand knew that police were investigating him was nearly two years into their relationship when Sarah Jane Parkinson's boss Inspector Anthony hill called him to Quinby an police station for what he called a chat Dan decided to take his dad Ian along with him you walk inside and you find out yep what they want to put a [ __ ] against me for abusing Sarah and your responses as I haven't done anything you know as fuse I'm sitting there gun for what good old inspector Hill said that he had five people that he would be willing to put up with a witness stand against me if I was to fight it five witnesses apparently five witnesses to have Benson never took place did you say my fiancee should be able to tell you that's not true yeah and she says she doesn't want to speak to you about it she doesn't want to speak to you about it yeah Daniel came back very agitated Ian was quite angry and what were you thinking about sir Ajay and Parkinson at this point it's time to get suspicion we'd letter ready another house rat in the house yep you go home and you live with Sara Joan Parkinson yep even though you've got this [ __ ] yeah saying that you're you're a monster you're a a violent man and she's your victim yeah Parkinson blames her overprotective police colleagues for the AVO and Dan believes her and she's unequivocal about Dan's innocence when Ian Jones the decent dad asks his prospective daughter-in-law if there's any truth to the allegations the police are making I actually queried her directly about it by herself and she's no there's nothing Daniels never hurt me I can't imagine Eva would he loves me I love him but it just it was rang Hollow she looked you in the eye and said this yeah she's gonna she's an accomplished liar dan and Parkinson continued their lives together he knows he's innocent but he's beginning to have other concerns you're suspecting that she might be cheating yeah with you know some of the mobile phone messages and ringing in late at night you confront Sara Jane yep what'd you say I said I'm sorry you're trading on me what did she say and her body language Sara you must have feel crushed I was crushed but I was more angry at the moment I was just furious you know I just built a house you know she's moved in with me everything was going well I had you know a good career I had you know my dream car I always wanted I had you know everything was going right and on that instant everything just went to [ __ ] the relationship ends in November 2013 within days Sarah Jane Parkinson comes here to cameras Gungahlin police station to make more claims about Dan this time they're so extreme that to believe them is to believe that Dan is a monster so many allegations yeah so many horrific stories about you yeah there are 32 in total you don't get a chance to defend yourself you're just going didn't happen didn't happen 32 times and I some of the charges that get renown to you like they're disgusting I know that worse allegations ago I can be you know charged with or it's yeah it's filthy Dan had apparently raped Sarah Jane pockets and according to her at least she'd stated that he'd struck her on the head with a lump of wood a tire lever he do urinate it on yes he made her stand outside in the rain when she came home later wouldn't let her in you must be thinking what is this this was just the charges I was looking to breathing through it I mean they're horrific allegations some of the worst I've you know in the domestic violence you'd see and that just makes me furious you've gone from you know meaningless innocent sweet girl to this premeditated monster who's capable of making all these allegations against you without a care in the world and think she can get away with it and you just sit there and go who's this person yeah who is this person yeah it was just two just flipped this is like a complete stranger on Christmas Eve 2013 Dan Jones world falls apart he was working here at the Alexander McConaughey Correction Center as a prison officer as he's leaving to go home he is arrested in front of his colleagues and charged with 32 counts of domestic violence including rape he could not believe it but sarah-jane Parkinson's work was not yet done her next target was Ian Jones dance pal coming up we are in the fun of our lives a family under siege he's gonna end up in jail for identities they're fine you went to school yep this was available but is it enough to stop packing she wished you'd come to her home rammed her head into the retaining wall kick - and you rape - apparently so that's next on 60 minutes it's January 2014 and Dan Jones is facing 32 counts of domestic violence including rape brought against him by his former fiancee Sarah Jane Parkinson dan has lost nearly everything his home his job and his reputation he's virtually under house arrest at his parents while Parkinson lives in his house his bail conditions are so strict one breach and he'll also lose his freedom he just completely lost helpless confused everything's just going in in your head like it was me against the whole IFP was pretty much me against any person in a blue uniform at that point [Music] so overwhelmed by what was happening the Jones family realized they were under siege and that it wasn't only Sarah Jane Parkinson they had to worry about it seemed police believed every word she uttered so I got the family together and I said we are in the fight of our lives we are battling to police services New South Wales and the AFP we're incurring huge legal costs and the consequences to Daniel if this runs the way it's looking it's going he's going to end up in jail for 18 to 20 years I can remember saying people are going to get angry at each other we're going to snap at each other we're going to be tired it's going to cost a lot of money but we have to do this because it's wrong did you mentally change then yeah okay - what I went on well I'll use the term war footing no I went everything was about achieving my goal which was proving Daniel innocent and having Sara Jane and the place held up here that was your focus yep you you you you went to this wall yep this was a battle that's how I treated it it was only one way to do it Dana Phi your enemy know who they are Marshall and prowlin infinisynth if there was a battle the front line was here the Australian Federal Police Station at Gungahlin it's here that Sarah Jane Parkinson found a willing ear in particular AFP acting sergeant Scott Corcoran he was the first to investigate the allegations against Dan Corcoran has since left the force this was not a mistake Erin oops this was a carefully orchestrated prolonged in vicious attempt to get Daniel if Ian's anger is on display it's for good reason police here again back to Sarah Jane Parkinson when she suddenly made outrageous allegations against him within a month of Dan's arrest Ian too found himself slept with a court order one breach of that order and he could also be sent to jail something he believed parkinson was aiming for we had an enemy and I do mean an enemy we were literally besieged looking at the cameras which is still here in response the Jones family went into defense mode setting up cameras both in and outside their home to protect themselves against any false allegation by Parkinson still camera here in the front door Michelle and Ann began obsessively compiling proof of their every move keeping receipts and ensuring CCTV cameras could identify them and writing detailed Diaries Amy was at work that was my daughter-in-law I stayed until about 10:00 p.m. for home and then home for 1037 p.m. it's quite precise isn't it and while the Jones family lived under siege Sarah Jane Parkinson set up her new life with her policeman lover taking up residence in the home Dan had built you were wiped out and another one came in yep and I was paying for a mortgage for him and his three kids who live in my house they moved into your house and life went on yep new yeah they had everything I've worked for and I had nothing before we knew what was going on we had four plainclothes detectives coming up the driveway for this family that had only ever done things by the book Parkinson's next move was incomprehensible on March 21st 2014 a posse of police officers arrived at the Jones home to arrest Dan and as soon as I made a turn to go inside the house to get my phone so I could call the lawyers they just jumped the gate and just slammed Daniel up against the wall here so there were four men on top of Daniel making the rest and I had no idea what was going on and they didn't tell me I was being arrested they didn't tell me what for she's screaming yours shouting I'm trying to get back in the house and lock at all do not let them in I thought here we go today's the day this is where it starts this is where it's really any difficult dan was charged with yet another sexual assault of Sarah Jane Parkinson a story she would add more and more shocking detail to over the coming week Parkinson's final account was of a violent and horrific rape you'd come to her home rammed her head into a retaining wall you jumped on top of her you had forced her to open up a condom packet he kicked her and you raped her apparently that's quite an allegation that's a big one and utterly untrue what no one realized was that this photograph of Dan holding his nephew Hunter was proof that he couldn't have done it it was taken earlier on the day of his arrest by his sister-in-law crucially stamped with date time and location it showed Dan could not have been anywhere near Parkinson at the time she claimed he'd raped her yet Dan faced the court fighting for his freedom I can remember seeing him handcuffed and looking over his shoulder at us and it became a habit of mine to go she no shoulders back chin up this was it this was where Dan's life as he knew it came to an end so serious was the charge of rape that Dan a former prison officer was denied bail and sent to Australia's toughest jail goal Byrnes Supermax probably the worst day of their lives that one the taking of someone's freedom is supposed to be the last act Daniel was baned up so fast it wasn't funny and if anyone found out who he was while he's in there he was dead so I got one phone call I spoke to dad and he said you know okay through this and everything and yeah he's lots worth last words to me on that phone call well I love you son and I think here he's voice breaking you know he's the the strongest guy I know if he was struggling to get through it then how was I expected to to do the same that phone call like broke me you know mm-hmm coming up an innocent man locked away I thought what are we going to do another victim she made me feel as are always guilty of everything she said Sarah Jane Parkinsons shopping history exposed to people at school thought for ten years that my dad was a rapist but is her trickery about to unravel and what the evidence showed us it didn't happen that's next on 60 minutes Dan Jones is locked away the former prison officer in a jail that houses the worst of the worst Goulburn Supermax outside the jail his family is desperately trying to free him and undo the damage done by the woman who once claimed to love him Sarah Jane Parkinson but this was not the first time Parkinson has accused an innocent man of rape she made me feel as are always guilty of everything she'd said everything ten years ago Parkinson accused Keith Lewis of raping her and threatening to kill her and her family they were extraordinary allegations because at the time Parkinson's best friend was Keith Lewis's daughter Sarah this is a girl who I trusted my life with and why would she lie but my dad wouldn't do that but why would someone lie but people at school fought for 10 years at my dad was a rapist my felt my heart had been ripped out and I was looking at people thinking what are they judging me that's what my thoughts were and I just I remember go into the bedroom and just bawling my eyes out just thinking about this what do I do here but Parkinson's hideous claims didn't end there she also accused Keith of sexually assaulting his own daughters Sarah and Rebecca and abusing other girls at their school accuse Asians that were all lies but devastating for his family dad held me and he was crying and my dad to me is I don't think I've seen him cry very often in my life and my dad said to me he held me and he cried and he said I didn't touch her I and he was crying and I just to me that was the most heartbreaking thing that you would ever have to see or hear from your dad the strong stoic Navy you know person that I've always looked up to to hold you bawling his eyes out saying I did not touch her I promise you and you found yourself you said even saying to your wife do you believe me how shocking though to have these conversations yeah why would I be having that conversation like why should I be having that conversation with my wife I'm defending myself over something that I haven't done [Music] police agreed Keith Lewis didn't have a case to answer and he was never charged over Parkinson's allegations but Keith's family his wife Robyn and daughters are still hurting I just feel this helplessness that I just don't understand I want to scream at her and ask her why why why would you ever ever do this to us but I can't it's just I feel broken when I see someone that could do such a horrible thing to such a good person I hate what this has become and reading through everything I have concerns for physical and mental health it's the same question being asked by Dan Jones in his daily letters from jail he writes about his confusion frustration and despair I'm scared I shouldn't be because I've done nothing at all but there is a small percentage in me that tells me I'm [ __ ] it's worrying to know that I'm not even safe at my home when I'm asleep and they didn't seem to be any good news Dan's parents were now faced with telling their son his time in jail while awaiting trial might be many more months and he said it and not a word not a word he just said tears tears coming down his face and I thought I thought what are we going to do you could see he was broken yeah well that was a terrible date after time that he might have to stay knock this whole jail business was terrifying and distressing you had to do things like do his will for him organize a funeral if he should need it I said today not one day and I said no I have to ask you about will and because we knew it was dangerous he being in there as the Jones family was falling apart they had no idea that this woman detective Sergeant Lisa Alexander was about to turn everything around so you arrived believing Dan Jones is a rapist that's correct and Sarah Jane Parkinson is a victim that's right yes I thought well what a family we've got here ones in jail for raping and the others are chasing this poor victim when Sarah Jane Parkinson escalated her claims of harassment by the Jones family the case was handed over to the AFP's Criminal Division and detective Alexander it wasn't long before Parkinson the long-suffering victim would be viewed as a suspect she had been believed by everyone prior to you a whole police force had backed her it's fair to say she didn't expect not to be believed am i right yeah you are yeah she'd have been believed and I believed her until the evidence started to show something different how important was Lisa Alexander she's a godsend that's a godsend very professional very calm to behave it was completely different towards us Lisa Alexander she turned the tide yeah she saved Daniel ultimately dad who he'd probably still be inside but dear when she came along it was very clear out away that things were different can you tell me in your own words where your understanding of the cautions then I can choose if I say or do anything and whenever I do say yeah for the first time sarah-jane Parkinson's allegations were being scrutinized and Parkinson didn't like it saying so in text messages to her police confidant acting sergeant Scott Corcoran who was now no longer in charge of the case in one she wrote to Corcoran Lisa showed up at my work on Sunday and caused a bit of a scene she is horrible and I don't want to talk to her again if Parkinson was rattled it was for good reason Lisa Alexander was scrupulous in her investigations someone had reported all of these fake crimes and blamed Daniel for all them and as far as I could was concerned and what the evidence showed is he wasn't responsible for any of it it didn't happen she said Daniel didn't do this she said I've got a lot of experience she said he didn't do this and we were repeat that again yeah well it was like is this is this a trick but it wasn't a trick Lisa Alexander's case against Sarah Jane Parkinson was so compelling that the Department of Public Prosecutions in the AC T called for an emergency bail hearing Dan him legs so relentlessly pursued into jail was now someone they desperately wanted out [Music] and after four and a half long months dan was released even now for Ian and Michelle coming back to remember that moment is too much coming up how a good cop was horrified exposed sarah-jane Parkinson's lungs there's a person who's innocent but is it too little there is Brandis irreparable too late for the Jones family [Applause] that's next 60 minutes that was Daniel I know it was Dan I recognized him late July 2014 Sarah Jane Parkinson now finds herself in the hot seat being questioned by the cop who would finally bring her undone Detective Sergeant Lisa Alexander here you're saying that you drove past their house doesn't make any sense this is the actual audio of the police interview where Parkinson is being called to account for the raft of allegations she's made against the Jones family we put it to you Sarah that you reported it stolen falsely accusing them of offense their allegations that will finally reveal her to be a liar I think it was just sheer desperation I can't Spain Daniel on reviewing of the evidence there are a number of photos on Sara's phone that I saw and Sarah was very appeared to be very happy and during those dates Stan was in jail so I found that very difficult that a person and could be so happy while someone else is in jail Detective Sergeant Lisa Alexander had only been on the case for a few weeks police had spent the previous two years believing Sarah Jane Parkinson's claims of rape and domestic abuse which had put Dan Jones behind bars now Parkinson was claiming a pattern of persistent harassment threats and theft implicating Dan's parents Ian and Michelle and his brother Andrew do you think the Jones family would have survived this if justice ultimately didn't prevail well it was already falling apart Parkinson made many accusations including that she was driven off the road and attacked by a man wielding a knife this was a knife that you actually were able to trace yes the steak knife Parkinson claimed was used to attacker was her own we did a search warrant and the set of six knives was only five knives we had those knives later compared and that was one of the set of six SAT police earlier speaking I had a look on there on the power box in that gun now Parkinson also implicated the Jones family in multiple break-ins at her house police operations Jane speaking Sarah Pattinson and last week's my house for Persian - and one of the things that was taken was my iPad then she claimed her iPad had been stolen and that software indicated it was at the Jones house I'm an ongoing thing at the moment I'm giving evidence in a trial against my partner and his family's been harassing me and that hasn't been broken into eight times she was saying my iPad stolen and I know where it is that's right it's at the Jones home hmm yeah but she had a GPS tracker on her car is that right she did yes it's almost eerie to see a lie unmasked so easily as this GPS track of Parkinson's car what did that show show that someone drove from a Sarah's house to the Joneses house that was Sarah Jane Parkinson planting the iPad outside the Jones family yes it was house so the the lies of melting yeah the lies kept coming this time Parkinson claimed that someone had broken into her car at work and again probably the Jones family she said but CCTV footage showed Parkinson briefly leaving work and unlocking her own car to set up the story of a break-in on review of that footage it showed that no one had broken into Sara's car that day we watched all the footage and it was clear to me by the end of watching that footage - that sara had lied so I thought if she's lied to me perhaps she's lied to the earlier investigators what do you feel when as a police officer when you have that thought oh my bad Ren called I was horrified that there may be the case what Lisa Alexander proved was that Sarah Jane Parkinson was nothing more than a serial liar Daniel was my issue then so it was she's lying to me she's lied to me now on four occasions there's probably an innocent person in jail coming up my only treatment lifeless wizard to have nicely' house with my family around me that's all I ever wanted I didn't think that was a lot to ask the cost of innocence Sir John Parkinson will probably watch this hmm anything you want to say to him about snakes on 60 minutes for Dan Jones and his parents in a Michelle there is no joy with all charges against Dan dropped the nightmare that's been inflicted upon them by Sarah Jane Parkinson is now laid bare the years of fighting to prove Dan's innocence has quite literally destroyed them can you put into words what these last six years have been like they've taken horrendous toll they've Daniels lost his career his reputation his livelihood his house Michelle and I expended huge amounts of money which resulted in significantly contributed to a divorce after over 30 years of marriage it's shattered a-any wife we've got in the police legal system the judiciary the TPP it's destroyed their family that is ruined us is it irreparable guess I'll be excited so who is Sarah Jane Parkinson then I think she's a lying vindictive cancerous human that should not be around other people at all I was a woman who could go bang bang got a question bang I've got an answer you know I was a professional I wasn't a professional positional position although it's gone you know my marriage is gone I'm like my family you know all I ever wanted to life my only dream in life Liz was it to have nicely house with my family around me that's all I ever wanted I didn't think that was a lot to ask it's not I didn't think that was a lot to ask for five years Parkinson vigorously fought the charges brought against her by detective Lisa Alexander a falsely accusing Dan Jones of rape and abuse but early this year Parkinson finally pleaded guilty admitting to the court she'd made it all up she was sentenced to prison for three years and one month at least two of those years will be spent behind bars so why did she do it well according to the DPP Parkinson was motivated by greed the house that Dan built and money she hoped to get when Dan was locked away fees she saw a comfortable family with some savings and she wanted her and she almost got it she did she almost got it except for Lisa Alexander she didn't count on me sir and as criminals go how do you class her she'd be up with the worst I think it's appalling what she did I think it's awful that anybody could do that to another person I can't fathom what she did the fact that Sarah Jane Parkinson was as the court described a pathological liar is shocking enough but the question the Jones family wants answered is why was she able to cause so much damage why didn't Polly's stop her earlier and why didn't the DPP test the evidence the police claimed they had this was a failure at every point the police the legal profession the judiciary a DPP every single point is was a failure and a catastrophic failure catastrophic failure the magistrate said Sarah Jane Parkinsons relationship with police may have emboldened her it may have because she hadn't been challenged Sarah in my opinion you the system there are many protections put in place for real victims of domestic violence and sexual assault my opinion is that Sarah knew them and she abuse them what is the overriding emotion you carry with you anger big enough survived on anger for six years and it's not yet abated I don't know that a will unless possibly people held to account [Music] dan was never guilty but proving his innocence cost the Jones family more than $600,000 and everything they owned its money they should never have had to spend and despite the family's pleas its money none of the authorities involved are willing to repay you know obviously without mom and dad's financial backing then you know I'd been in jail and simple as that sorry yeah I want mum and dad's have what they lost in being compensated for everything that's happened I mean it's torn our family apart Sarah destroyed that family it's awful what happened to the Jameses I can't even imagine what it would be like but they are good people and she destroyed that family and they then didn't do anything to cause this he did absolutely nothing nothing Dan Jones is now living in Perth it's far from Canberra as he can possibly get and remarkably he's found love again with his new girlfriend Bridget but Dan's story has left them all with deep and lingering emotional scars all caused by one person Sarah Jane Parkinson would you like to say something to her I think I can say it on camera I really don't I think if she ever came near my family again god help her so god help her stay away from my family Sarah Jane Parkinson will probably watch this hmm is anything you want to say to her no and there's one more insult for the Jones family the real victims of this crime despite what they've been through they don't qualify for any compensation their only hope now rests with the AC T government authorizing a special payment no word yet but we'll let you know if it happens hello I'm Liz Hayes thanks for watching to keep up with the latest from 60 minutes Australia make sure you subscribe to our channel you can also download the 9 now app for full episodes and other exclusives 60 Minutes content

Channel: undefined

Views: 9,007,380

Rating: 4.7255135 out of 5

Keywords: 60 Minutes, 60 Minutes Australia, Liz Hayes, Charles Wooley, Tara Brown, Liam Bartlett, Allison Langdon, Ellen Fanning, Peter Overton, Ray Martin, Sarah Abo, Dan Jones, Sarah Jane Parkinson, police, corruption, domestic violence, psychopathy, compulsive liar, supermax prison, criminal, domestic, violence, partner, relationship, abuse, psycho, sociopath, sarah jane, husband, wife, wrong, falsely accused, accused, fake, lies

Id: bYH992ynhdU

Length: 44min 20sec (2660 seconds)

Published: Mon Apr 08 2019

Reddit Comments

[u/qizhNotch]

I’m surprised she even got in trouble.

[u/flyredditguy]

Bet they consider that two year sentence harsh enough as well.. sickening that these things happen to good people.

[u/TheMexicanJuan]

This video made my blood boil for fuck sake

[u/YacineElBoudi]

thE pAtrIarKy iZ bAd said a woman in 2020

[u/Nic_M9252]

Wow, thank you for sharing. I'm surprised the family haven't sued the police force.

[u/[deleted]]

It's partially why I don't date and one hundred percent the reason I don't ask women out.

[u/[deleted]]

Sometimes people need to take law in their own hands

[u/phishyfingers]

When the "defund the police" movement is finished maybe we can start a "defund the courts" movement.

The police brutalize minorities and the courts brutalize men.

There's lots of outrage against the police and just shoulder shrugs against the courts.

Corruption starts at the top. Maybe if the courts changed their ways the police would follow their example.

The longer the courts ignore due process and practice discrimination, the longer the police will follow their example.

[u/CatherineConstance]

Just disgusting. Holy shit.