Magistrate Belinda Wallington handed down the decision following a committal hearing that lasted almost a month throughout March and April. A number of charges had been withdrawn during the committal hearing. The offences were alleged to have occurred over 12 months and the complainant alleged he was removed from the St Joseph’s boys home and from his dorm, and taken to the locations where he alleged the offences occurred. The complainant had a “cavalier attitude” towards the court, Wallington found, and sometimes cited a lack of recall to avoid answering questions. Throughout the committal Pell sat each day in courtroom 22 in the same seat, head bowed, sometimes taking notes, always dressed in the same outfit: black pants, black shirt and a beige jacket.

Source: The Guardian May 01, 2018 02:15 UTC