Australia East Eastman, who has been wrongly charged with murder for 19 years, received $ 4.8 million in damages today.

Eastman, 74, was sentenced to life in 1995 for the death of Colin Winchester, Australian Federal Police officer. After 19 years in prison, he was released in 2014 after a court ruled he was unfairly tried. The 74-year-old man was acquitted in a second trial last year.

Eastman has previously denied a compensation of about $ 2.5 million from the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) government. In previous hearings, the ACT Supreme Court stated that Eastman had lost the opportunity to get married and build a career because of imprisonment. Eastman's mother and two younger brothers also died in the meantime.

"He has lost a significant part of his life," lawyer Sam Tierney said outside the ACT Supreme Court today.

Colin Winchester was shot twice in the head right in front of his private door in Canberra, becoming the highest-ranking police officer ever murdered in Australia. Eastman, then a public servant, was identified as a suspect for having threatened Winchester with dealing with a criminal matter before.

After being detained, Eastman appealed in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005 and 2008, but all failed. In 2014, Eastman was released after a judicial investigation concluded that he had suffered "serious errors of justice".

In the second trial, which took place last year, involving more than 100 witnesses, Eastman was acquitted. The 74-year-old immediately made a claim.