A male Channel Seven star accused of multiple assault and torture charges has had his court case delayed after it was disclosed that there was still a “significant” amount of material — such as text messages — outstanding.
The man and his partner were first charged with child abuse-related offences in August 2023 and cannot be named due to legal reasons.
On Monday, Brisbane Magistrates Court was told that the man’s lawyers had received a brief of evidence which required three weeks review. However, police prosecutors said that a “significant” amount of material still needed to be submitted.
“Our office sent an email to the arresting officer on the 13th of February,” a prosecutor told Deputy Chief Magistrate Anthony Gett, per news.com.au.
“There’s the statement of a witness… some digital recordings of special witnesses I’m told, as well as screenshots of text messages.”
As a result, Deputy Chief Magistrate Gett allowed a four-week adjournment and the man’s case will resume in court on March 18 for a mention. FYI, cases often appear in court lists multiple times before there is a hearing. So, mentions are utilised so the court knows how people will plead and how much time the court will need to allocate for a hearing.
The man is facing six counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm while armed or in company, two counts of common assault, one count of observations or recordings in breach of privacy, and two counts of torture.
The man’s partner — a 52-year-old female — was initially charged with 36 offences including charges of rape and serious child abuse. On November 7, a further 38 charges were added, with one more added on November 10.
The charges both parties are facing date back to 2005.
In October 2023, Magistrate Aaron Simpson granted the woman a non-publication order which prevented the media from disclosing her identity. This was because he found her to be at risk of harming herself should she be identified.
Before October 2023, people in Queensland charged with sexual offences were unable to be identified by the media prior to being committed to trial. At the time, Magistrate Simpson said that exposing the woman’s identity would open her up to a likelihood of online threats, putting her mental health at risk.
“The defendant is not someone trying to hide behind a mental illness; she is a fragile person who is a risk to herself,” Magistrate Simpson said, per The Advocate.
The woman’s case is set to be mentioned at Richlands Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
Help is available.
- If you require immediate assistance, please call 000.
- If you’d like to speak to someone about domestic violence, please call the 1800 Respect hotline on 1800 737 732 or chat online.
- Under 25? You can reach Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800 or chat online.
