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Jesus found me in jail for a murder

1:00am Tuesday, 10th August 2010

Lea Carswell meets Dennis Basic - a man set free

Dennis Basic was in his late twenties when he was charged in 2007 with conspiracy to murder. He was granted bail in November 2008 and was acquitted of all charges in August 2009.
“I’m a plasterer, a husband and a father of two. This is the first time I’ve had the chance to share my story.”
Dennis is wearing a black t-shirt that his wife gave him this year for his 30th birthday. It shows a crown of thorns with the words, ‘Never Forget”. “It means never forget about Jesus. Never forget what he’s done for us.”
“At 15 I was out of control. I got in with a bad crowd. My gang was a substitute family.
“By 19 I was heavily into the nightclub scene. I was a boxer and worked as a bouncer. Life was all about cars, girls, partying and money. I was charged with armed robbery when I was 24 and spent 18 months in jail. I came out twice as bad.
“The Melbourne gangs portrayed in Underbelly were friends of mine. A couple of years later I was picked up in Sydney with a well-known crook. I was charged and placed in remand at Silverwater Jail.
“My wife was about to have our second child when I was charged. I was in prison in a different state, cut off from everyone.
“I was in the library talking to someone about their drug case—we were comparing notes! On my way out I noticed a book about Medjugorje, a place near Croatia where Mary has appeared to local believers since 1981, urging people to return to God. I remembered this from my childhood; it all came flooding back.
“It was overwhelming: my hurt and pain and anger. I couldn’t stop reading that book. I had to take a shower so I could be on my own to cry.
“I didn’t know how to get to Jesus but, through this book, Mary pointed the way. I started reading the Bible. I prayed. I thought about the cross and everything Jesus did for me. It took time to digest what had happened, with the help of the chaplain in my block. I was gripped by Jesus and the way he had taken over my life.
“I started my own prayer group of six inmates. We met in the chapel and shared stories. We prayed for each other and for strength to forgive past enemies. Once, an inmate coming down off drugs punched me in the eye so hard I had to have stitches. I didn’t retaliate. Just let it go and prayed for him instead. That’s when people around me knew that I had changed.
“My wife visited and brought our kids – I met my son, and saw my daughter for the first time in eight months. My relationship with my parents was restored.
“Soon after, I was granted bail. I spent nine weeks at a city hotel during the trial.. Every morning I went to St Mary’s Cathedral and prayed and remembered that ‘the truth will set you free’. I told the truth on the stand and the jury acquitted me.
“I am a free man, for eternity. I accept God’s promise that he has forgiven me completely. There is always hope because we can be forgiven any sin. That’s why Jesus died on the cross and why he rose again. Just believe.”