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The
Christchurch Civic Creche Case |
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A hearing was conducted
behind closed doors at the Appeal Court in Wellington for convicted child
abuser Peter Hugh McGregor Ellis. Ellis' lawyer, Dunedin
Queen's Counsel Judith Ablett-Kerr, refused comment at the conclusion of
yesterday's three-hour hearing. "What happened,
happened in chambers. That's all I can say." However, Mrs
Ablett-Kerr was understood to have discussed Ellis' bail application for a
second Appeal Court hearing. She said afterwards she would be seeing Ellis
today. Ellis, 40, is in the
sixth year of a 10-year sentence on 13 counts of sexually abusing children
under his care at the Christchurch Civic Creche. He has maintained his
innocence throughout. In 1994 the Court of
Appeal dismissed his first appeal. In March,
Governor-General Sir Michael Hardie Boys, a former Court of Appeal judge,
refused to release Ellis on a "free pardon", but referred his case
back to the Appeal Court. That hearing is expected in late September. Ellis had petitioned
Sir Michael after allegations were made about the conduct of the police
investigation into the case. Ellis applied to be
released from prison on bail pending the hearing of his appeal and that issue
was believed to have been discussed at yesterday's conference. In March, Ellis also
refused to appear at a Parole Board hearing that would have considered his
release on parole. -------------------- CAPTION: LEAVING
COURT: Peter Ellis' lawyer, Dunedin Queen's Counsel Judith Ablett-Kerr,
refused to comment on the hearing. PICTURE: The Dominion |
