Desmond Mackrell faces Brisbane District Court on historical sexual abuse allegations against student
A teacher has fronted the Brisbane District Court on shocking historical sexual abuse allegations against a teenage student. WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
Police & Courts
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A teenager allegedly sexually abused by a teacher carried around lollies at school to get the taste of the acts out of his mouth, a trial has heard.
Desmond Mackrell, known as Brother Bede to students, has pleaded not guilty to repeated sexual conduct with a child, indecent treatment of a boy under 17 and three counts of carnal knowledge against the order of nature.
The offences allegedly occurred decades ago when Mackrell was working at the school and the complainant was in his early to mid teens.
Crown prosecutor Clair O’Connor, addressing the jury at the start of the trial in Brisbane’s District Court, said that Mackrell meted out regular physical punishment to the boy before it allegedly became sexual.
“(He) noticed that Brother Bede seemed to enjoy hurting him, and he noticed that he would occasionally be erect when he was hitting him with a strap or cane.
“It was within that context that the prosecution will allege that he was able to engage in repeated sexual conduct towards (the complainant) when he was a young teenager.”
Ms O’Connor alleged Mackrell made the youth strip down to his underwear in his office before dismissing him.
Other times Mackrell would make the complainant climb under his desk while he sat in his chair, she said.
“He would lift up his robe and make (the teenager) play with his penis. He would make (him) suck his penis and at times ejaculating into (his) mouth,” Ms O’Connor alleged.
“(He) will tell you that because of all this he developed a habit of carrying around lollies, something he did to get the taste of ejaculate out of his mouth.”
Ms O’Connor said the complainant would tell the jury of being alleged raped by Mackrell on two occasions but the actual charge was carnal knowledge against the order of nature which reflected “the law in place at the time”.
She said on one occasion Mackrell allegedly shoved the teenager into a toilet cubicle and pushed his head into a urine filled toilet bowl before anally and orally penetrating him.
“(He) recalls screaming for help but none came and he wet himself,” Ms O’Connor told the court.
“Once it was all over the defendant left him there in the toilet to clean himself up.”
It’s alleged more sexual abuse occurred in Mackrell’s office after the youth had been kicked out of a class.
On another occasion the youth had gotten into trouble for bringing a pornographic magazine to school by Brother Wilfred De Cruz who took him to the office of Mackrell who allegedly grabbed him by the tie, “pulling him down and causing his head to smack against the desk”.
“(He) will describe that Brother De Cruz then proceeded to penetrate him while Brother Bede held him down by his neck tie,” Ms O’Connor alleged.
“Brother Bede is charged with that offence on the basis that he aided Brother De Cruz to commit it.”
Mackrell’s barrister Paula Morreau, KC, was permitted to make some limited opening remarks.
“It’s not the time for me to outline my case or argue my client’s defence now. You have heard from his own mouth that he is not guilty of these charges and the time will come for me to explain why it is so a little later in the trial,” she said.
Ms Morreau told the jury that it was not easy to hear allegations of child sex offences and they could “give rise to emotion, preconceptions, fears, other kinds of perceptions” understandable outside of court but not inside one.
“It must be disregarded here,” she said.
“You’re not here to consider the matter at a general level about other cases, but to consider the case before you and the evidence that is called before you. And you must, of course, consider that evidence dispassionately.”
Ms Morreau said the matters canvassed allegedly occurred more than 40 years ago and asked the jury to consider the impact this could have on people’s memories when listening to the evidence.
“The Crown’s case rests on (the complainant) and you need to assess his evidence carefully,” she said
“In order for you to accept (his) evidence, you would need to consider that it is both truthful and reliable beyond reasonable doubt.”
The trial before Judge Brad Farr continues on Wednesday afternoon.
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