Wayne Robert Green: Mondure farmer charged with deprivation liberty, procuring prostitution faces long wait for trial

A Burnet farmer awaiting trial for allegedly raping backpacker will face a lengthy wait for trial on fresh charges as confusion stalls the case in a lower court. Here’s what’s happening:

A South Burnett farmer awaiting trial for allegedly raping an English backpacker on his farm will face an even longer wait, as a new case against him stalls in a lower court.

Mondure crop farmer Wayne Robert Green is facing charges of rape, sexual assault and deceptive recruiting after police allege he raped a young woman when she worked on his farm in early 2017 as part of her government requirement to extend her visa.

Mr Green has indicated he will plead not guilty when the matter goes to trial in the Kingaroy District Court.

But the trial was put on hold when Mr Green was charged with a string of 17 fresh charges, including deprivation of liberty and procuring prostitution.

The 51-year-old was charged by police on December 20 with the 17 additional charges, which include seven counts of observation or recording in breach of privacy, three counts of procuring prostitution, deprivation of liberty, and six other offences.

The fresh charges meant the district court ordered a stay of proceedings on the original charges, and ordered the new charges be sent to magistrates court for a committal process.

CHARGED: Mondure crop farmer Wayne Green. Photo Rhiannon Tuffield

A committal mention was scheduled for July 5, but Magistrate Andrew Sinclair noted he was in no position to set down a hearing date due to issues between the district court indictment and the charges in his court.

“I’ve been through the charges and the charges on the indictment and the charges before the court don’t match,” Mr Sinclair said.

Mr Green’s lawyer Andrew Kelly noted the charges were placed long after his client had been ordered to face trial, and were a result of evidence presented in the committal hearing.

Mr Kelly said this meant the defence had been unable to cross examine witnesses properly.

“Most of these witnesses who are now complaints and the charges before you … were purely similar fact evidence witnesses in the original prosecution, they were not complainants,” Mr Kelly said.

“Our cross examination of those witnesses for the original charges was limited to just the similar fact aspect of their evidence.”

Mr Sinclair questioned whether he could order the DPP to appear and explain their actions, noting it left police prosecutor Lisa Manns in a difficult position.

“They’re the ones the caused the confusion, they’re the one that should be fixing it,” he said.

The case was adjourned to November 1.

Originally published as Wayne Robert Green: Mondure farmer charged with deprivation liberty, procuring prostitution faces long wait for trial