Quotes Attributable to Shaun Austin, brother of Clinton Austin:
“My name is Shaun Austin. I am the elder twin brother of Clinton.
I have already given a statement to the court about Clinton, who he was, what it was like growing up together, and what happened in his life leading to his passing.
It’s hard for me to talk about how this has impacted me. We always had a special connection, a different bond. A kind of telepathy. Belinda reminded me of one incident years ago where I was in Dandenong working on a friend’s car when I suddenly passed out out of nowhere. When I came to, I knew something was wrong. I told Bee to ring Clinton. She rang Clinton’s wife, who told us Clinton had been in a motorbike accident in the bush. I remember getting on the phone to triple zero and directing them to where he would be.
I have been very lost and confused since Clinton passed. We used to love being out camping in the bush. Nowadays, I can’t really get myself to go camping anymore. It’s not the same. We went out to the bush recently where we would usually go with Clinton, near a big tree which has all our names carved out. But we only lasted two days out there. Nobody wanted to be there. It wasn’t the same.
I will be going to see a psychologist so I can understand the extent of the impact this has had on me. I am so confused and don’t know how to express the feelings I have. I have suppressed it all. I have tried to access mental health in the Wodonga region but it is near impossible.
I think I have just been keeping it together through this process and soldiering on in order to get answers for Clinton. I didn’t know I had this much strength and that this was possible. I had had to put up a strong front from the start to help everyone through the process. I have been acting as a spokesperson and going through all the materials myself whilst supporting other family members and insulating them from the worst of this. This is whilst dealing with further grief following the passing of our Mum in June. I don’t think I have yet had the space to process the loss.
The coronial process, and digesting all of this information has been hard. But it is really important to have the answers. Going on in life having unanswered questions is the hard part. We have waited so long for answers.
I am worried about how it is going to hit me once we step back. I haven’t had time to grieve myself.
I don’t have Clinton to talk to and his support anymore to deal with any of this.
I always think about how prison can make or break you. When I was first sentenced and went into prison, I was able to break free from it. I changed myself for the better. I was able to access one on one counselling when I was there, because of the passing of my aunty. I could push through because of this and the education I got in there. But there are a lot of people that don’t have this. A lot of people in prison can’t push through because they are struggling and they don’t get the mental health care they need.
I tried so hard to give Clinton a lot of support. I had exhausted everything I could do to help him. If he had real support in prison, it could have made a real difference for him. I know what he was feeling. He was very up and down emotionally before he passed. I used to talk to him throughout, I know how hard he was finding it. Just the way he expressed his voice, I knew what the time in isolation was doing to him. It made a huge difference to his emotional wellbeing. He really felt like there was no use trying, that they weren’t prepared to listen to anything he was saying. Clinton felt throughout his whole sentence, and even before that throughout his time in the justice system, that no one cares, no one listens to him.
Our sister Kim who couldn’t be in Court has also been watching every day of the inquest. She received some letters from Clinton but often didn’t reply to them as she thought she would be seeing him on the outside. Now she will never have the opportunity to do that.
I think about our Mum all the time. There were so many thoughts she had about Clinton’s passing. I wish we asked her to write a statement, so we could have her words here with us. I know that my mum felt the justice system failed Clinton and that he was unfairly treated by the police and corrections from the very start. She had good reason to. Clinton was 14, or maybe even younger, when he was charged for his first offence of stealing a chook egg at a farm our teacher had asked us to come to and help out in. Mum and dad took it to the County Court in Shepparton where it was thrown out. The next offence was about taking 5 x 20 cents coins out of the vending machine and so on and so forth. Clinton’s criminal history started from these incidents when he was young.
And he continued being treated unfairly by the justice system throughout.
I have had to hear about all of these failures while he was in prison and I will have to carry for the rest of my life. I know he is gone. All I can do now is make change for others in the hope that it doesn’t happen to anyone else.
My intention is after this is done, I will still keep focused. I am going to focus on advocating for more mental health support throughout Victoria. I want to do this because of the recognised strain of the mental health systems in prisons. I want to continue to try and push more change, including for more facilities like Thomas Embling – places where people could actually be cared for in the prison system. Places where there is more ability to help people who have such complex issues. That’s something I will put all my concentration in to after this, and will do everything I can to advocate for change. I need to put this responsibility on myself so I can keep in control, and keep in control of the anger I feel about what happened to Clinton. It’s hard for me to function otherwise.
Mum always felt Clinton was never given a proper opportunity to show his true potential. Mum felt strongly about this. Mum wanted to get up and give a statement herself. She was concerned to make sure that this doesn’t happen to anyone else again. Mum wanted a better healthcare system in prison.
I still feel his presence. The night mum passed away, right before she passed I felt his presence. I said to mum ‘Clint is here to get you Mum’.”
Quotes Attributable to Ashlee Mizzi, niece of Clinton Austin:
“My name is Ashlee, and I am the niece of Clinton Austin, who tragically lost his life because the system failed him. I am providing this statement to share the profound impact his death, and the circumstances surrounding it, have had on my life.
My uncle was a kind, protective, and selfless man. He acted out of love and duty to his family, yet his actions were unfairly portrayed, and he was treated as a villain. This false portrayal has caused further pain to those of us who knew his true character — a man who always put others before himself and deserved to be rewarded for his courage, not condemned for it.
Since his death, I have lived with constant fear, anxiety, and recurring panic attacks. The incident that occurred prior to his imprisonment is embedded into my brain causing nightmares and a constant feeling of unfairness – he was protecting his family members, I being one of them just 8 weeks pregnant. I thought I was going to lose my baby that night and or worse, die. The police had no matter of urgency to help us, It was truly terrifying. For my uncle to be charged when the perpetrator walks free is something I’ll never understand or forgive. If the perpetrator had got into my Aunty’s house that night, we would of been in serious danger. I often experience sleeplessness, and during severe episodes of panic, I struggle with memory loss and disorientation. The emotional toll has affected my ability to work consistently, leaving me financially and mentally strained. Each time I am reminded of that night and his passing, the pain resurfaces, making it difficult to move forward.
This tragedy has taken away not only a beloved family member but also my sense of security and peace. I continue to feel anxious and lost, and the injustice surrounding his death weighs heavily on me and my family.
I share this statement in the hope that the court recognises the lasting impact this has had on all of us. More than anything, I seek closure and justice — so my uncle’s memory can be honoured truthfully and our family can begin to heal.”
Quote Attributable to Shanikah Austin, daughter of Shaun Austin and niece of Clinton Austin:
“My name is Shanikah Austin, and I am the daughter of Clinton Austin’s twin brother, Shaun. This means my uncle Clinton was not just an uncle to me – he was someone who felt more like a second father, a mentor, and a constant presence in my life. Because of the bond my dad and uncle shared as twins, I grew up with Clinton being closely involved in my everyday life. He was someone I looked up to, someone who inspired me, and someone who shaped who I am today.
One of the biggest things we shared was our love of art. Uncle Clinton loved art more than anyone I’ve ever met. His passion for it was endless, and I don’t think anyone could love it the way he did. It wasn’t just about painting or drawing – it was about the meaning and expression behind it. He made art feel alive. Through him, I learned to see art as a way of communicating feelings that couldn’t always be put into words.
When I was in high school, my dad and uncle lived together, and I moved in with them. Their house was closer to my school, but the truth is, I didn’t really go to school very often. Instead, I spent most of my days at home with my uncle. Those moments are some of my strongest memories – sitting in the lounge room, watching new movies and TV shows together. I remember the last movie we watched together before he went to jail: Bird Box. We never finished it. At first, I promised myself that we would finish it together when he came home. But after he passed, I couldn’t bring myself to watch the rest. To this day, I still haven’t watched it, because in my heart, finishing it without him feels impossible.
Even when he was in jail, our connection stayed strong. Whenever he would video call with my dad, the very first thing he always asked me was, “How’s your art going?” That was his way of reminding me to keep creating, to not give up on something he knew mattered so much to both of us. But when he passed, that part of me felt like it died too. My creativity and passion disappeared. I stopped painting almost completely, and although I tried to keep drawing, it wasn’t the same. Art used to be my greatest joy, but now it feels empty – like a reminder of what I lost. Losing him meant losing a part of myself.
His absence has left a permanent emptiness in my life. I didn’t just lose an uncle – I lost a role model, a friend, and someone who truly understood me. He wasn’t just family, he was someone who gave me guidance, laughter, and encouragement when I needed it most. The way he passed – alone, behind bars, without his family by his side – is
something that continues to haunt me. I carry grief, but also anger and heartbreak, knowing he didn’t get the chance to come home.
His passing has deeply affected my mental health and the way I live my life. It changed my sense of security and the way I express myself. It has left me with unanswered questions and a pain that feels permanent. I don’t think I’ll ever fully heal from the loss of him, but I carry his memory with me every day. The love he gave, the bond we shared, and the passion for art he instilled in me will always remain, even through the grief.
Clinton was more than just my uncle. He was a part of who I am, and losing him has changed me forever.”
Quote Attributable to Belinda Austin, Shaun Austin’s partner of 22 years
“My name is Belinda Austin, I have been with Shaun Austin, Clinton’s twin brother, for 22 years. But I have known the family for even longer than that.
I don’t know if I had a right to do a victim impact statement but the more I thought about it the more I realised just how much his death in custody has affected me and will forever have an impact on our lives.
Clinton was the first one in Shaun’s family to accept my son for who he was. Beau not being Shaun’s son biologically but Clinton still accepted him as his nephew.
Clinton and Beau had such an amazing bond.
My daughter Shanikah had a huge impact on her life too, they were art buddies. Shaun and I can’t do art for the life of us, but Clinton showed Shanikah so much art, their bond was unbreakable. Since Clinton’s death she can’t find it in her to keep up with her art. We have tried in the last 3 years for her to keep up her art but she feels she just doesn’t have the heart to do it without him.
Clinton also had a stepdaughter, who he accepted as his own. That was a weird relationship as when Clinton and Shaun were both in custody in 2008 I found out she was living with drug addicts so I took her in through DHHS and she accepted me as her mum, so she called me mum and Clinton dad and Shaun uncle. Weird I know but we all accepted that as she was Clinton’s stepdaughter.
It has affected all four of our kids.
And onto the fact that now Clinton will never be able to have a relationship with his own biological son. I feel that Shaun and I will forever have to remind him just how much his dad truly loved him. And also tell him the memories we have of his dad. He will never have the relationship he should of with his son. He also had a stepson, his biological son’s little brother who he again accepted as his own.
I am worried and scared of the impact this has all had and will have on Julie and Shaun after this inquest is over. They both try to be there for everyone and care for everyone. They don’t show their emotions. Shaun, he has always been the carer. He has spent all his time caring for everyone else, his dad, brother, mum, nephew. The last few years he’s also had to take care of me when I went through cancer, with me finishing chemo and radiation last year. The only person he has cared for that hasn’t passed is me. I’m worried about the toll this has all had on him, and I worry for everyone in the family.
What really breaks my heart is now Clinton’s mum will never know what truly happened to her son in custody. I will forever have to remind his whole family how much he truly loved them.”
Quote Attributable to Julie Silvey, the mother of Clinton’s niece:
“Finding the words to describe Clinton, the role he played in my life and in our family, and the impact of his passing has been one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. His loss has left a profound emptiness in our lives, and it is something we continue to struggle with every day. I was about three and a half years older than Clinton. Growing up, all of us siblings were very close.
We spent much of our childhood together—at the park, at the swimming pool, simply enjoying each other’s company. Clinton and his twin, Shaun, were alike in many ways but also had their own differences. Our bond as a family was strong. As we grew older, we continued to remain close. Even after I moved out when I became pregnant, we saw each other often. At times I moved back in, and Clinton was always supportive. He would watch my daughters, and he was a loving and thoughtful uncle always bringing them lollies, always ready to help with anything. He mowed my lawns, built my daughter’s bed, and never hesitated to step in when needed.
Clinton was a caring and kind person, someone who would do anything for others. All of my daughters knew him and loved him. His loss has affected them deeply, especially my eldest daughter. She was at my sister’s home the day Clinton came to protect her, an act that ultimately led to his imprisonment. That was the kind of man he was protective, selfless, and always putting family first.
I spoke to Clinton a few times while he was in prison. When I eventually saw him on a video call, I was shocked by the change in him. He had gained a significant amount of weight, and even his voice was different quiet, subdued. I could sense that something was not right.
I learned of his passing while driving home from the supermarket. That moment is a blur to me I only remember going straight to Shaun’s house, but I cannot even recall the journey there. This loss has been extremely difficult. It has been hard for me personally, but even harder for my siblings and our children, especially Shaun, who shared the unique bond of being Clinton’s twin.
The impact on our wider family has also been significant. It was particularly devastating for our mother, who was deeply focused on Clinton and his wellbeing. I believe the stress and grief took a toll on her own health, and losing her not too long ago during all of this has intensified our pain.
Throughout this court process, I have been present every day. It has been important to me to be here, to stand for Clinton, and to seek justice for him. At the same time, I do not know what justice truly looks like because no matter what happens here, he is not coming back. What I do know is that the system failed him. He was not properly cared for while in custody. He should never have been held for so long. He should have been home with us, with his family, where he belonged and where he was truly cared for.”
