Sex, lies and police tape

5 years ago
It would be difficult to find anyone more honest and reliable than Dan Jones. He always prided himself on being a law-abiding, hardworking member of the community. But what he, and his equally decent parents, Ian and Michelle, have endured over the past eight years beggars belief and has led them to question the way the police and the legal system operate in Australia.

The Jones’ family trauma began in 2011 when Dan met Sarah Jane Parkinson. They fell in love, got engaged and planned their future together. But bizarrely, just as the couple seemed destined for a life of romantic bliss, Parkinson started making up vile stories and complete fabrications about her fiancé. She went to the ACT police accusing Dan of despicable domestic violence and rape. He vociferously denied the allegations, but to no avail. Instead, he was deemed such a threat he was thrown into a maximum security prison while he awaited trial. As Liz Hayes reports in a 60 MINUTESspecial investigation, the stress of being wrongly accused of heinous crimes was not only unbearable for Dan, it fractured the entire Jones family. The ordeal contributed to the break-up of Ian and Michelle’s 30-year marriage as well as costing them hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees. But just as devastating for this family is how easily police and prosecutors were duped into believing Sarah Jane Parkinson was a victim when in fact she was a pathological liar.

To watch 'Sex, lies and police tape' in full, see the links below:

Reporter: Liz Hayes
Producers: Gareth Harvey, Madeleine Apps

An in-depth article has been published on 9News. Stream this video in full on 9Now and YouTube. Follow and join the conversation on 60 Minutes Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

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