Margaret Cunneen to represent former Gosford Mayor Laurie Maher in historical sexual abuse trial
One of the most high profile barristers in NSW will represent former Gosford mayor Laurie Maher in his second trial into alleged historical child sexual abuse.
Central Coast
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The second trial for ex-Gosford Mayor Laurie Maher over historic sexual abuse allegations will not go ahead until November 2023.
Mr Maher appeared before Sydney District Court on Thursday where he was arraigned on two charges before Judge Timothy Gartelmann.
The court heard that Mr Maher would be represented by Margaret Cunneen SC, a former Crown Prosecutor and Deputy Senior Crown Prosecutor, well known for prosecuting highly publicised paedophiles as well as gang rape and murder trials.
Mr Maher’s trial is expected to last seven to 10 days, starting on November 6.
He appeared via audio visual link from his lawyer’s office and spoke clearly when he entered pleas of not guilty to one count of buggery on a male between May and September in 1977 and one count of committing an act of indecency on a male between November 1979 and May 1980.
The indictment listed two complainants.
These are the two charges remaining following Mr Maher’s three week trial this year into alleged sexual abuse of boys during his time as superintendent of Mt Penang Training School in the 1970s and 1980s.
In September, a jury found Mr Maher not guilty of six charges including two counts of buggery, two counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault knowing no consent given.
However, after a week and a half of deliberations, the jury was unable to reach a verdict on the two remaining charges and they were discharged by Judge Philip Mahony.
The court also heard that Mr Maher would be making an application to Judge Mahony for “costs” from his previous trial, with both the Crown and Mr Maher’s legal team to submit arguments on the issue.
Mr Maher, now aged 84, has maintained his innocence since the allegations first came to light in 2020.
Mr Maher was first elected to the former Gosford City Council in 2004 before serving four terms as mayor from 2007 until his retirement in 2014. He founded a homelessness charity in the 1990s which would go on to become Coast Shelter, one of the region’s leading advocates and service providers for crisis accommodation, meals and longer term housing.
In 2010, he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day Honours for his services to the community through social welfare and local government.
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