Joshua Robert Smith-Monaghan: Deceased teacher accused of rape officially dismissed of charges in Townsville Magistrates Court

A Townsville teacher who died in custody by suicide after being charged with raping a student and assaulting others has officially been discharged of the offences.

Crime victim speaks out. Picture: Evan Morgan

A former teacher who died by suicide while in jail after being charged with raping a student, has officially been dismissed of the 14 child abuse related offences.

Joshua Robert Smith-Monaghan first appeared in Townsville Magistrates Court on November 2 and was denied bail following allegations he raped a 16-year-old girl he met when she was 15 at school.

Originally the 35-year-old had been charged with four counts of rape, eight counts of indecent treatment of a child under 16 and two counts of using the internet to procure a child under 16.

On Tuesday morning defence lawyer Jake Donn from Legal Aid Queensland appeared on behalf of the deceased to confirm his death.

Police prosecutor Jodie Nellis said the prosecution would offer no evidence and asked for the charges to be dismissed.

Magistrate Richard Lehmann officially dismissed all of Mr Smith-Monaghan’s charges.

Earlier this year one of the schoolgirl complainants spoke to the Townsville Bulletin and shared she had “mixed emotions” about the former teacher’s death.

“People are just going to turn around and say ‘well, he was never found guilty’ so there’s a lot of unfairness and the justice system has failed in that sense,” she said previously.

It was confirmed the man died November 5 at Townsville Correctional Centre just three days after his bail was refused.

Originally published as Joshua Robert Smith-Monaghan: Deceased teacher accused of rape officially dismissed of charges in Townsville Magistrates Court