William Spedding to fight historical child sexual assault charges

A MAN questioned by police investigating the disappearance of toddler William Tyrrell will fight to have unrelated historical child sex charges thrown out.

William Spedding, pictured outside Campbelltown Court earlier this year, will fight to have historical child sex charges thrown out. Picture: Ian Svegovic

A MAN questioned by police investigating the disappearance of toddler William Tyrrell will fight to have unrelated historical child sex charges thrown out.

William Harrie Spedding, 65, appeared in Campbelltown District Court on Wednesday morning, flanked by his wife and a small band of supporters. His lawyers filed documents beginning his application for a permanent stay of proceedings on historical child sex allegations.

Spedding is charged with sexually assaulting two girls aged three and six in a caravan in Sydney’s southwest in 1987.

Spedding was questioned by police about the disappearance of three-year-old William Tyrell from a home on the state’s north coast almost two years ago.

Spedding stands next to his whitegoods repair van during the search for Tyrell. Picture: Nathan Edwards

The allegations came to light after the repairman was questioned over the high profile disappearance of Tyrrell, who vanished from a relative’s Kendall front yard on the NSW Mid North Coast two years ago next week.

Spedding has not been charged with any offence in relation to William Tyrrell and has denied any involvement in the boy’s disappearance.

Crown Prosecutor Craig Everson conceded that evidence had been lost and some witnesses had died in the three decades since the offences are said to have been committed, but said this was not unusual in cases involving historical allegations.

The home where William Tyrell disappeared from in 2014. Picture: Lindsay Moller

Spedding, pictured after leaving court in May, is accused of sexually assaulting two girls aged three and six in a caravan in Sydney’s southwest in 1987. Picture: Ian Svegovic

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“Mr Spedding was spoken to by police about these allegations, by the investigating officers, and that interview has been lost. Ongoing inquiries will be made to try and find it,” Mr Everson added.

Judge John Pickering said documents had only been served on prosecutors the previous day, and that the stay application ought be heard by the trial judge. He has moved the trial, which is expected to run for up to four weeks, to the Sydney District Court on February 6, 2017.

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