SUPREME COURT Accused Gives Evidence In Sex-Charges Trial

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31981, 7 May 1969, Page 10

SUPREME COURT Accused Gives Evidence In Sex-Charges Trial

Giving evidence yesterday in his own defence, a 63-year-old man standing Supreme Court trial on eight sex charges, involving a 13-year-old girl and her 14-year-old sister, made what his counsel described as “a complete and utter denial” of the allegations against him. The accused—whose name Mr Justice Wilson has suppressed in the interim—faces one count of indecent assault, one count of unlawful sexual intercourse, two counts of attempted unlawful sexual intercourse, and four counts of permitting a girl to do an indecent act upon him. Represented by Mr R. F. B. Powell, he has pleaded not guilty to all eight charges—and at the end of evidence yesterday said he did not know why they had been “put on him.”

His Honour stopped the accused from proceeding further on this line, saying that an accused person giving evidence was not entitled to speculate as to the motives of others. It was for counsel, addressing the jury, to make any suggestion that was consistent with the evidence. Detective A. E. Harris had earlier given evidence that the accused, when first seen by the police, had made several denials of the allegations against him, along the lines that the girls' stories were “a pack of lies.”

Detective Harris said that the accused had told him that he (accused) had heard that the 13-year-old girl had been interfered with, and that the girls had told accused's wife ’

that the interference had taken place at the girl's own father’s place. The accused was in the witness-box al! yesterday afternoon. Under a long and detailed cross-examination by the Crown Prosecutor (Mr N. W. Williamson), he continued a complete denial of any sexual familiarity with either girl specified in the charges. The trial will continue today, with further evidence for the defence.