Two-year struggle to clear her name leaves Karen Brown broke

The ordeal is over: Security guard Karen Brown with her husband, George Muratore, and her mother, Bev Brown, leave the Supreme Court on Friday.
Photo: Sahlan Hayes

Daniel Dasey
August 6, 2006

KAREN Brown, the security guard cleared in the shooting death of a man who had beaten and robbed her, has legal bills of more than $100,000 and is considering seeking victims' compensation and suing over her injuries.

Acquitted on Friday of both the murder, and the alternative charge of manslaughter, of William Frank Aquilina, Brown spent yesterday sleeping and recovering from her two-year court ordeal.

Her husband, George Muratore, said she had "collapsed, exhausted" after returning to their Rooty Hill home on Friday.

"Obviously she's relieved at the moment but it has taken its toll," Mr Muratore said yesterday.

"She's taking the weekend off to think about nothing."

Mr Muratore said the couple had incurred close to $200,000 in legal expenses and were now in financial straits.

He said $50,000 of $100,000 paid to Ms Brown for a Channel Seven interview had been spent on legal fees.

The couple still have to pay bills of more than $100,000 and growing.

"We're a fair bit behind with the legal costs," he said.

"We didn't have enough to cover the costs. We had to borrow from friends and family.

"Legal aid wouldn't help us."

Mr Muratore said the couple would look at addressing their finances this week.

"We haven't looked at compensation yet, but I imagine that will be the next step," he said.

"We couldn't progress to the next step until this was settled."

Aquilina came from behind and accosted Ms Brown outside the Moorebank Hotel on July 26, 2004. He bashed her about the head with knuckledusters while trying to steal her backpack, filled with $45,000 cash takings from the hotel and other businesses.

After Aquilina took the bag and was sitting in his car, Ms Brown shot him through the vehicle's window.

Mr Muratore said Ms Brown had been receiving workers' compensation and was hoping for a lump sum payment. The couple would also investigate victims' compensation and the possibility of suing Ms Brown's employer at the time of the shooting, Cash And Valuables. Mr Muratore, who runs Elite Guard Force Security, said Ms Brown would not return to the security industry.

"At the moment I think she'll just play housewife and stay at home for a while," he said.

The couple felt as if a weight had been lifted off them following the verdict. "It feels like today is a new life," Mr Muratore said.

"Getting up today was completely different to yesterday."

Mr Muratore said his wife felt sympathy for Frank and Elaine Rasmussen, Aquilina's grandparents.

"There's no bad feeling or anything," he said. "She really feels for their life."

But he said she was trying to move on. "It doesn't benefit you to dwell on it," he said.

Mr Muratore said the couple would look at the possibility of selling their story to a TV show this week.

Lawyers yesterday said the couple's ability to seek victims' compensation might be affected by any workers' compensation payments they had already received.

Source: The Sun-Herald