Neil Duncan: Magistrate slams police delays in serving evidence provided by three alleged sexual touching victims

A south coast pony club president allegedly touched the breasts of a woman while in the Kosciuszko National Park.

Neil Duncan, pictured outside Bega Local Court, has been charged with twelve offences.

A court has heard the case of a south coast pony club president facing multiple sexual touching charges may be brought to the attention of the NSW Police Commissioner due to delays in police entering the statements of his three alleged victims as evidence.

Neil Duncan, 64, from Coopers Gully north of Bega, did not attend Bega Local Court on February 9 when his charges were mentioned.

He is yet to enter a plea to six counts of aggravated sexual touching.

Mr Duncan did however enter a plea of not guilty on February 9 to fresh firearm charges, including possessing an unauthorised pistol, not keeping the pistol safe, possessing an unregistered firearm, possession of an unauthorised firearm and two counts of not keeping a firearm safe.

Magistrate Doug Dick told the court if transcripts of statements given by the three alleged victims last year are not entered as evidence by March 2 he would refer the matter to the NSW Police Commissioner.

Magistrate Dick told the court prosecutors said the statements would be transcribed in November last year and again in January, and if they are not received by Mr Duncan’s next court appearance, the Jindabyne detective involved must appear in court in person.

Police Sergeant Liza Brown told the court she could not explain why the transcriptions had not yet been done.

Bega Local Court. Picture: Google Maps

Sergeant Brown told the court the charges had been referred to the NSW Department of Public Prosecutions last year, and in January this year.

According to court documents police allege the sexual touching took place in Ingebirah near Thredbo, Coopers Gully north of Bega, and within Kosciuszko National Park between 2019 and 2020.

The documents reveal Mr Duncan allegedly placed his hand on one alleged victim’s genitalia and her breasts over her clothes without her consent on two occasions in November, 2019.

Two further charges from March last year involve Mr Duncan allegedly touching another alleged victim “above and below” her stomach and placing his hands on her breasts without her consent.

The last two charges, from February and June 2019, involve Mr Duncan allegedly placing his hands underneath his third alleged victim’s shirt, bra and underwear without her consent.

Mr Duncan, who is currently on bail, was arrested on November 6 last year by Cooma police before being charged at Bega Police Station.

Magistrate Dick adjourned the matter to March 9.