Jury out for 8½ hours

Press, 2 September 1977, Page 1

Jury out for 8½ hours

After deliberating for eight hours and a half, a jury could not reach a verdict in the Supreme Court last evening on eight out of nine charges arising from the alleged multiple rape of a girl aged 18 in a Cashel Street flat last April. Mr Justice Somers discharged the jury. The only verdict the jury returned was one of not guilty in the case of Darryl Ivor Wheeler, aged 17, on a charge of rape on April 13. His Honour discharged Wheeler on that count.

In a trial which began on Monday, Wayne Maurice Crump, aged 20, Joseph James Ward, aged 25, and Darryl Ivor Wheeler, aged 17, pleaded not guilty to two charges of rape on April 13 and 14.

Christopher Owen Melville Collins, aged 17, pleaded not guilty to three cnarges of aiding and abetting rape on April 14.

His Honour ordered a new trial for the four accused, and remanded them in custody to September 19.

The Crown had alleged that the girl had been the victim of a multiple rape by the three men late on the evening of April 13 and that they had returned a few hours later and repeated the offence about 5 a.m. on April 14. Mr G. K. Panckhurst appeared for the Crown, Mr R. J. Murfitt for Crump, Mr D. J. R. Holdemess for Ward, Mr P. M. James for Wheeler, and Mr P. H. B. Hall for Collins. Final submissions, page 4.