Groundskeeper child sex abuse trial: ‘The easiest place to plant a lie is in the middle of the truth’

The defence told the court a “soft-hearted man” makes for a “soft target”.

The prosecution says the detailed nature of the child’s evidence suggests she is telling the truth.

The defence counsel for a school groundskeeper accused of grooming and indecently treating a child has told a jury in Cairns District Court that the teenager had a “motive to lie”.

Sibara Baragud, 62, is facing two charges of indecent treatment of a child under 16 and one of grooming a child under 16 with the intent to procure a sexual act.

The prosecution alleges Mr Baragud gave the girl, then aged 13, a necklace for her birthday before touching her vagina, bottom and breasts.

It is further alleged he offered to buy her a dog and offered her $50 if she would “play with him”.

Mr Baragud says he did buy the girl a necklace for her birthday, but denies the other allegations.

Mr Baragud’s defence counsel argued that the girl was motivated to lie because she was looking for a ticket out of her community.

The necklace formed part of what defence barrister Brydie Bilic said were “ten red flags” about the girl’s testimony.

Ms Bilic told the jury it was unlikely the girl would continue to wear the necklace after the alleged assault, given she had alleged the assault occurred soon after.

She said it was customary to give gifts in the community and that her client was being kind by giving her birthday gift.

Ms Bilic argued there were inconsistencies in the girl’s story and that she had a motive to lie.

She said the girl wanted to leave the isolated community with poor water quality, limited internet, crowded housing and limited opportunities.

She said making these complaints were her chance to get out.

Most of the evidence in the case, she said, was “agreed upon,” and this meant “the easiest place to plant a lie is in the middle of the truth.”

The prosecution said that the girl’s evidence is supported by testimony of other witnesses.

“A soft-hearted man makes for a soft target,” she argued.

However, prosecutor Nick Watkins told the jury the girl “stuck to the same set of evidence” throughout the trial, and her allegations matched up to work diary notes showing Baragud’s probable whereabouts over the relevant two-week period.

Mr Watkins said the girl’s testimony was highly specific and nuanced in its details in a way that suggested they were likely to be true.

“Every time she told this story, she said the same thing … her evidence is consistent with other witnesses,” he said.

“This is something intimate that happened to her.”

Ms Bilic earlier told the court the “issue of sexual abuse has garnered a lot of attention in recent years and rightly so … but those hot buttons have no relevance in this trial”.

“All he asks for is a fair go,” she said in her closing statement.

After hearing both closing statements, the jury is now deliberating.

Originally published as Groundskeeper child sex abuse trial: ‘The easiest place to plant a lie is in the middle of the truth’