Too hot for Oz?"We don't need to open ourselves up to the risk of legal proceedings - try Amazon!" (Aussie Print-on-Demand Publisher).This is a story about an untrue story. A story the newspapers and radio stations refused to countenance - "If you mention that guy, we go off air" (Radio 5 Live). That mainstream publishers thought too dangerous "too angry" (UK Trade Publisher) to lay before the reading public. So I have come to Amazon and Createspace, with this modest mote of Australiana. God Bless those Americans and their enshrinement of the right to free speech.This is an account of how the most warm-hearted true story to emerge from Australia in a generation was transformed into a public relations disaster by the man who held himself out as our media expert and why a decent dad who only wanted to pay a few thousand dollars back to the people who searched for his son was smeared with demonstrably false allegations of profiteering and exploitation.In July 2009, my son, Jamie Neale, went missing in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales.
As would any father, I dropped everything to fly over and join the search for him. I was about to fly back to the UK when I was told the joyous news that he had emerged from the bush, emaciated but alive. On the patio outside the hospital, I said I would not be keeping the media dollars on offer for my story. I would donate the money back to the Blue Mountaineer Community which had searched for him. Hailed as 'The World's Coolest Dad' and 'an honorary Aussie' (I was actually born in Australia!). I signed up to an Aussie Media Agent, who proceeded to sell my world exclusive story for A$947 less than nothing! Meanwhile, the world assumed I was coining it. When I complained and insisted on redress, so called 'sources' fed the press with false allegations- that I wanted half my son's money, that I was keeping the money for myself. In fact I only ever asked to be paid for the interviews I gave; not a penny of my son's media earnings.
When I did get paid for The Mail on Sunday's censored version of my story, I immediately arranged for the money to go back to Australia.This is a story of professional incompetence so imbecilic that some readers will doubt it can possibly stack up, but there is a trail of e-mail correspondence which supports my version of events - transcripts are supplied in an appendix. These e-mails make it clear that Richard Cass never, on any occasion whatsoever demanded, asked for or expected half Jamie Neale's money. They also make clear that at no time whatsoever did Cass contemplate keeping his media earning for himself. There are plenty of people who never believed that Jamie Neale ever got lost in the first place. They are wrong but while they are entitled not to take it all on trust, I do wonder what happened to these fine sceptics when it came to the real media con - the ridiculous tale of greedy, grasping 'Backpacker Dad', a story unsupported by any evidence beyond the otherwise unattributed smears of 'sources' and 'insiders'. Those sceptics fell for it like gullible idiots and stank up the blogosphere with ill-informed musings on my moral turpitude.I have therefore written 'Ruined Castle' as the definitive and maybe defamatory record of what went on in those three crazy weeks in July.
The search for my son, his wonderful return and the ugly canards that besmirched both of us in the aftermath have entered the history of the Blue Mountains. As a 'primary source', I have provided an eye-witness account of the search, the climax and the conflict. I provide contemporary documents which give an insight into these events which those unattributed 'sources' cannot match for veracity. I also happen to write with a certain verve, providing insight and erudition to spice up the narrative. So, if you really wanna know the truth, read all about it and weep.