Mackay region man charged with 22 offences including rape, 16 counts of drug supply

A magistrate has blasted police handling a case against an alleged rapist accused of supplying MDMA and cannabis, telling them shortcomings ‘simply won’t be tolerated’.

The young man is charged with one count each of engaging in penile intercourse with a child under 16, rape, indecent treatment of child under 16 (take photograph), distributing child exploitation material, possessing child exploitation material and contravening a police order about information stored electronically.

A magistrate has blasted Mackay police, accusing them of being “slack and inefficient” in relation to an alleged rapist being held in custody on remand.

The 23-year-old Mackay region man has been in custody for about six weeks on more than 20 charges including rape, possessing and distributing child exploitation material and supplying drugs.

It is alleged the offending occurred between June and August in the Mackay region.

The young man, who this publication is not naming in case it identified any alleged victims, is charged with one count each of engaging in penile intercourse with a child under 16, rape, indecent treatment of child under 16 (take photograph), distributing child exploitation material, possessing child exploitation material and contravening a police order about information stored electronically.

He is further charged with 16 counts of supplying MDMA and marijuana.

He remains in custody on remand.

His case was listed for mention in Mackay Magistrates Court on Tuesday when police prosecution sought an adjournment and supplied an updated affidavit in relation to the matter.

Magistrate Damien Dwyer refused the application and said it was “absolutely unacceptable”.

Magistrate Damien Dwyer.

“It is ridiculous, this man has spent six weeks in jail while we’re waiting for some doctor to sign a form,” Mr Dwyer said, adding he was listing the case for a full hand up committal with cross examination.

Because of the nature of the charged the case must be dealt with in the district court. A committal is a process that moved a case from the magistrates court to the higher court.

The court heard witnesses would be called and Mr Dwyer called for a police officer to be present in court to “tell me what’s going on, why they’re so slack and inefficient in their work”.

“I’m going to refer this to the superintendent. It is absolutely ridiculous … that you object to bail on this fellow and then you’d sit on your hands and do nothing,” Mr Dwyer said.

“It simply won’t be tolerated.”

The matter was adjourned to later this month.

Originally published as Mackay region man charged with 22 offences including rape, 16 counts of drug supply