Tuggerah: `Banned’ counsellor Patrick McNally faces court over historic child sex assault charges
A man, who has been banned by the state’s health regulator from practising as a therapist or counsellor, has faced court charged with the alleged historic sexual assault of four teenagers.
Central Coast
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A former councillor accused of sexually assaulting four teenage clients — aged between 14 and 17 — across a five-year period has faced court on the Central Coast for the first time since being granted bail.
Patrick Joseph McNally, of Bulahdelah, faced Wyong Local Court on Tuesday where he is facing five charges including three counts on aggravated indecent assault, inciting a minor to commit an act of indecency and aggravated sexual assault by forced manipulation.
Police allege McNally committed acts of indecency in Tuggerah and Kangy Angy against four different girls, touching the breasts, thighs, stomach, and legs of the victims.
Police will further allege McNally compelled a victim to “engage in self-manipulation by means of a coercion/threat which (she) could not reasonably be expected to resist, and in circumstances of aggravation”.
The retired father-of-four was arrested at his Bulahdelah address on October 27 and remanded in custody to face Forster Local Court the following day where he was granted bail.
It came after police launched an investigation in 2018 following reports four minors — aged between 14 and 17 — had been sexually assaulted at two counselling clinics in Tuggerah and Wyong between 2009 and 2014.
At Wyong Local Court on Tuesday Magistrate Kirralee Perry questioned why the brief of evidence was not ready and put the police on notice that if it was not forthcoming by January 31 the prosecutor would have to provide an “explanation”.
She continued McNally’s bail and adjourned the matter to February 21 when he will be excused from attending if he is legally represented.
McNally’s strict bail conditions include that he reside at Bulahdelah, report to Forster Police Station three days a week, not be unaccompanied in the presence of anyone under 18-years-old, and not conduct any form of life coaching or counselling.
It comes after the Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) banned McNally permanently in November 2021 from providing “any health services” for the care or treatment of mental health issues — either paid or voluntarily — to any member of the public.
The state’s health watchdog investigated a complaint against him and found McNally was an unregistered, untrained and unqualified practitioner who described himself as a “Life Coach, Therapist and Counsellor”.
The HCCC found McNally provided mental health services despite not being a psychologist or having any training, qualifications or experience in mental health.
The HCCC found McNally was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology from Shaftesbury University in the United Kingdom, which was not a legitimate educational institution and did not issue accredited degrees.
“Despite being fully aware that his PhD is bogus, he has continued to use these post nominals throughout his career to inflate his so-called credentials,” the HCCC stated in its findings.
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