Supreme Court Girl raped twice by gang, Court told

Press, 30 August 1977, Page 10

Supreme Court Girl raped twice by gang, Court told

K girl aged 18 had been; the victim of two gang I rapes, involving the same] men, within the space of a : 1 few hours on the night of I April 13, it was alleged in the Supreme Court yesterday. Mr Justice Somers is presiding over the trial of five men, three of whom are alleged to have raped the girl a total of six times. Joseph James Ward, aged 25, Wayne Maurice Crump, aged 20, and Darry Ivor Wheeler, aged 17, have each pleaded not guilty to two charges of rape. Matthew James White, aged 21, has pleaded not guilty to one; charge of attempted rape! and Christopher Owen Mel-! ville Collins, aged 17, has pleaded not guilty to three! charges of aiding and abetting rape. The trial is expected to take three days. Mr G. K. Panckhurst appears for the Crown, Mr D. J. R. jHoldemess for] Ward, Mr R. J. Murfitt for Crump, Mr P. M. James for Wheeler, Mr D. J. Maze for White, and Mr P. H. B. Hall for Collins. Mr Panckhurst said the Crown alleged that the, multiple rape occurred in a

flat alongside the Ministry of Transport building in Cashel Street. The girl was in bed with her boyfriend when the accused arrived and set about terrorising her and the other occupants of the flat before raping her. The accused made off before the police arrived but returned in the early hours and three of them again raped the girl, Mr Panckhurst said. A single girl, aged 18, unemployed, said that on the evening of April 13 her boyfriend telephoned her from a hotel and she went to his

flat about 9 p.m. They went to bed about 10 p.m. in an upstairs bedroom. An hour and a half later, there was a knock on the downstairs door and it was answered by Alex Nelson, an occupant of the flat. She remained in bed. Four young men entered the bedroom but she knew only one of them, the accused Ward, who was known as Doc. She had never seen the others before. She identified them asi Wheeler, Crump and White. Also in the flat was a couple in another bedroom. She said that there was general conversation for a while then the men “started to get smart" and threatened her boyfriend with a belt and a brick. She was still in bed and was wearing only panties. One of the men took off his belt, showed the buckle to her boyfriend, who was sitting on the other bed. and said, “If you don’t watch out. you’ll wear it” Two of the accused pulled the beclothes off her. She tried to pull them back over

her but did not succeed. When her panties were ripped off she told them to go and she was hit in the mouth with a fist. She was too frightened to say anything else. Ward then had intercourse •nth her. She tried to stop him but could not because she was scared. She tried to struggle. Then Wheeler and Crump had intercourse with her against her will. Her boyfriend was not in the room. White was in the bedroom as well but he did not do anything to her. As she was about to get dressed, someone said the police were there. IBy the time the policeman centered the bedroom, all the accused had gone. I The girl said she had not told the policeman what had happened because she was shocked and was shaking like a leaf. She was not talking much. They waited for detectives to arrive and, i when they did. she went to the police station where she made a written statement about what had happneed. They returned to the Cashel Street flat about 3.30 a.m. She did not go home because she knew it would worry her mother. They talked for a time and then sh went to bed.

The detectives had arranged that if they wanted to see them again that night, they would knock three times. About 5.30 a.m. she was still awake. She heard three knocks and her boyfriend opened the door. She was getting dressed when four of the accused [ entered. White was not with them but Collins, who had not been with them earlier, was. The accused asked her boyfriend who had telephoned the police and he de- ' nied it was him. After he was hit, he said that it had been him. Her boyfriend was ordered to face the wall or “he would get it again.” Her slacks were pulled off her. Collins left the room. Ward had intercourse with 1 her again. She did not agree to it but she was too fright-1 ! ened to do anything. She tried to resist by wriggling. 1 Wheeler and Crump then , had intercourse with her. > Mr Murfitt had just begun ‘ his cross-examination when t the question arose of when the Evidence Amendment ■ Act, 1977, in relation to rape * cases came into force. There ■ was lengthy legal argument I in the absence of the jury. ! His Honour said that he il would give his decision on the matter this morning