Convicted baby killer Keli Lane has been granted weekend prison release and is spending time with her partner, Patrick Cogan, whose job at an elite Sydney boys' school has been reinstated. Lane, 51, was seen at Balmoral Beach in Sydney enjoying the winter sunshine with Cogan, accompanied by an electronic ankle monitor.
Lane's weekend release privileges were previously rescinded over allegations of misusing a mobile phone while on release to contact Cogan. However, she regained these privileges after a dispute with NSW Corrective Services. She is currently residing at the Bolwara Transition Centre, which allows inmates to visit nearby shopping centres while wearing a tracking device.
Cogan, who has taught at St Pius X College in Chatswood for nearly three decades, was dismissed from his position as a PE teacher due to his relationship with Lane. He twice appealed the decision to the Fair Work Commission, which ruled in his favor on both occasions. The commission ordered the school to rehire Cogan and pay him back wages, stating that his devotion to his partner was not relevant to the dismissal.
Lane was found guilty in 2010 of murdering her newborn daughter, Tegan, and was sentenced in 2011 to 18 years in prison. She secretly gave birth to Tegan in September 1996 and left the hospital with the infant, later claiming she had given her to the child's biological father. Police were unable to locate such a person. She has maintained her innocence throughout the legal process.
Under New South Wales'