Title : Craig McLachlan wins bid to avoid jury trial for sex offences
link : Craig McLachlan wins bid to avoid jury trial for sex offences
Craig McLachlan wins bid to avoid jury trial for sex offences
The criminal case against actor Craig McLachlan will be determined by a Melbourne magistrate and not a jury as he fights assault and sex offence charges.
Key points:
- McLachlan has been charged with numerous offences, including indecent assault
- The charges coincide with his time starring in The Rocky Horror Picture Show in Melbourne
- They followed an ABC/Fairfax investigation into female co-stars' allegations of bullying and misconduct
Mr McLachlan, 53, appeared at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court in person for the first time since being charged in January with common law assault, attempted indecent assault and eight counts of indecent assault.
Prosecutors today withdrew one of the indecent assault charges.
The charges coincide with the actor's time playing the lead role in the Rocky Horror Show in Melbourne in 2014.
Magistrate Johanna Metcalf today accepted Mr McLachlan's application for summary jurisdiction which means his case will not be sent to trial in the Victorian County Court and lower maximum penalties will apply if he is found guilty.
Ms Metcalf said the offences Mr McLachlan had been charged with were commonly dealt with in the Magistrates' Court and there were adequate sentencing provisions available if he was found guilty.
The most serious offence he has been charged with, indecent assault, carries a maximum penalty of 10 years' jail if it is dealt with as an indictable offence in the County Court.
That treatment is reserved for the most serious examples of that offence.
Mr McLachlan now faces a maximum penalty of five years' jail if he is found guilty of more than one of the offences.
His defence barrister Stuart Littlemore QC said the actor would plead not guilty to the charges.
The court heard 30 witnesses would give evidence at a contested hearing which is yet to be scheduled.
Mr McLachlan has been excused from attending court when his case returns in June for a mention ahead of that contested hearing.
Mr Littlemore asked for his client to be excused due to the fact he lived in New South Wales and because of the "need to avoid the inane siege he has to endure" outside court.
On his arrival at court this morning, Mr McLachlan was not required to line up with other accused and members of the public waiting to clear security.
Instead, a security guard waived him through an entry reserved for lawyers, police and court staff which fast-tracked his arrival inside the building.
The Melbourne Magistrates' Court has been contacted for comment regarding Mr McLachlan's treatment.
Last year, a joint ABC/Fairfax investigation revealed three of Mr McLachlan's female co-stars accused him of bullying and sexual misconduct during the musical's 2014 tour.
The actor denies the allegations and is suing the ABC, Fairfax and one of the actors for defamation in the NSW Supreme Court.
The defamation trial has now been delayed until the criminal proceedings are completed.
Mr McLachlan's acting career has spanned decades and has included roles in Home and Away, Packed to the Rafters and The Doctor Blake Mysteries.
He got his break in 1987 when he starred in Neighbours and went on to appear in more than 800 episodes of the show.
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