Sacked SA Police detective Jordan Lloyd Koch released after child sex abuse conviction overturned
A sacked SA Police detective will be home for Christmas after an appeals court overturned his child sex conviction and ordered a retrial.
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Sacked SA Police detective Jordan Lloyd Koch has been released from prison after a court overturned his child sex abuse conviction and ordered a retrial.
On Thursday, Mr Koch’s wife wept and said “I’m so happy, the kids will be so happy” as the Court of Criminal Appeal handed down its judgment.
Koch, appearing by video link, became visibly emotional as Chief Justice Chris Kourakis and Justice Chris Bleby authorised his immediate release on bail.
In their ruling, they and Justice Sophie David agreed with Koch’s claim that he had suffered “a miscarriage of justice” due to “inadequate, unsound or unfair reasoning” in his judge-alone trial.
Due to statutory suppression orders protecting the identity of Mr Koch’s alleged victim, The Advertiser cannot publish the Court of Appeal’s reasoning.
Mr Koch, 37, of Springton, is a 17-year SA Police veteran who has received multiple police and CFS bravery awards.
He was found guilty at trial of one count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a person under 17 years and two counts of indecent assault.
At trial, prosecutors alleged Mr Koch committed “the highest level of misconduct” by abusing his “power and privilege” to groom and sexually assault a girl, 15, known as “Cristina”.
Mr Koch denied all wrongdoing, insisting there had been no sexual contact – both he and his family became hysterical when he was found guilty by Judge Liesl Kudelka.
On Thursday, the Court of Appeal said it could not rely upon Judge Kudelka’s rejection of Mr Koch’s evidence, nor be satisfied the charges had been proven beyond reasonable doubt.
“There has therefore been a miscarriage of justice,” it concluded.
Chief Justice Kourakis remanded Mr Koch to live at Jervois under his previous bail agreement – which bans him from contacting or approaching Cristina and her family – and remanded him to face the District Court next year.
Originally published as Sacked SA Police detective Jordan Lloyd Koch released after child sex abuse conviction overturned
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