The Birnies

Together at Last

On 9 July 1969 they were committed for trial in the Supreme Court on eight further charges of breaking, entering and stealing. They pleaded guilty and Birnie had three years imprisonment added to his sentence. Catherine was put on probation for a further four years.

On 21 June 1970, Birnie broke out of Karnet prison and teamed up with Catherine again. When they were apprehended on 10 July they were charged on 53 counts of stealing, receiving, breaking and entering, being unlawfully on premises, unlawfully driving motor vehicles and unlawfully using vehicles. In their possession police found clothing, wigs, bedding, radios, food, books, 100 sticks of gelignite, 120 detonators and three fuses. Catherine admitted that she knew that she had done wrong but said that she loved Birnie so much that there was nothing that she wouldn't do for him. She would get her chance to prove this in the years to come.

Birnie was sentenced to two and a half years in prison and Catherine received six months. Her newborn baby was taken from her by welfare workers and held until her release. Out of prison a few months later and away from the evil influence of David Birnie, Catherine went to work as a live-in domestic for a family in Fremantle.

For the first time in her life, the scrawny young woman seemed to have found some happiness. Donald McLaughlan, the son of the family she worked for, fell in love with her and they married on 31 May, 1972. It was also Catherine's 21st birthday. Shortly after she gave birth to the first of their six children. They named the baby boy 'Little Donny' after his father. Seven months later Donny was killed when he was crushed to death by a car in front of his mother. Psychiatrists would later ponder the significance of this tragedy in the horrors of the future.

In the meantime, the marriage was not a happy one. Catherine pined for David Birnie.

No-one was surprised when she bailed out of the marriage. The family had been living in a State Housing Commission home in the working class suburb of Victoria Park. Catherine had to look after her unemployed husband, their six children and her father and uncle. The place was like a pigsty. She took no pride in the kids or the house. There was never any money for food. One day she rang her husband and said that she wasn't coming back. She had been seeing David Birnie for the previous two years and was going back to him.

After thirteen years apart, she moved back with David Birnie. Although they never married, Catherine changed her name to Birnie by deed poll and became his common law wife.