Court reporter Rod Campbell wrote that Mr Eastman was due to face the ACT Supreme Court at an undetermined date. Bail was initially refused by Chief Magistrate Ron Cahill, but "within four hours he had been granted bail by Justice John Gallop".

Bail was priced steeply at $20,000 dollars, and came with strict conditions.

Conditions included appearing at his trial, good behaviour, that he must stay at his address except for one week when he had been due to visit Sydney, that he report to the Supreme Court twice a week, and he was not allowed to contact an important prosecution witness.

A separate article said Mr Eastman "admitted that he faced a serious charge, but said it was not unprecedented that people charged with murder were granted bail".

"[Mr Eastman] added that the prosecution had 'a pathetically weak case against him'."

Mr Eastman was reported to say he was "looking forward with relish to demolishing this foul accusation for the frame-up that it is".

Mr Eastman was eventually convicted at trial but after serving 19 years behind bars, he became a free man in 2014 when his conviction was quashed. He was found not guilty at a subsequent retrial in 2018. Last year, Mr Eastman was awarded a compensation payout of $7.02 million.

Mr Winchester was the highest ranking police officer to be assassinated in Australia. No one else has been charged over his murder.

See: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/13959916