Peter George Reurich: Taree man cleared of sexually touching schoolgirl at Aldi supermarket

A Mid-North Coast man who once beat an RSL in a disability discrimination case – often spotted around town with his support dog – has had his conviction for sexually touching a schoolgirl at an Aldi overturned.

Peter George Reurich leaves Taree Local Court late last year.

A Taree man who once beat a NSW RSL in a disability discrimination case – often spotted around town with his support dog – has had his conviction for sexually touching a schoolgirl at the local Aldi overturned.

Peter George Reurich was previously convicted of sexually touching another person, the-then 16-year-old, without consent.

The decision was handed down in the Taree Local Court on April 26.

Mr Reurich has now successfully appealed that conviction in the Taree District Court.

Aldi CCTV captured the incident. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Paul Jeffers

His lawyer Anthony Barber argued there were possible discrepancies in the victim’s recounting of the events of September 26 last year and that only a small portion of available CCTV footage was viewed in court.

Reurich pleaded not guilty, but was found guilty by Magistrate S Barlow following a hearing which ran for roughly half a day in the Taree Local Court.

The magistrate imposed a 10-month community corrections order, which meant Reurich remained in the community.

Peter George Reurich leaves Taree Court with support dog Boofhead on December 5.

During the district court appeal Mr Barber told Judge Clive Jeffreys that parts of the victim’s police statement were different to the evidence given during the hearing.

He also said only one 30-second Aldi CCTV video file picturing the incident was played in court, but seven files lasting for about seven minutes should have also been seen.

Footage showed Reurich walking off after buying orange juice, which did not match the girl’s evidence that she had been followed, the lawyer said.

On Tuesday Judge Jeffreys upheld the appeal and set the conviction aside.

His application for costs was dismissed.

Peter George Reurich and his assistance dog Boofhead back in 2018

Mr Reurich made headlines in 2018 when he won a discrimination case against Jervis Bay RSL for denying him and support dog Boofhead entry.

The RSL was ordered to pay more than $16,000 in damages to Reurich for denying entry, services and eventually membership between late 2014 and mid-2015.

“Your dog does not meet the basic health and hygiene standards of the club because he has a pungent smell, his coat is all matted and he is visibly dirty,” Mr Reurich was told by an RSL employee, according to Justice Brigitte Markovic’s written judgment in 2018.

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