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Allegations
of Sexual Abuse |
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A Hamilton District
Court jury today retired to decide if former teacher John Timothy Edgar is
guilty of indecencies against boys. Judge Lynton Laing summed up the case this morning before sending the
jury away at 10.30am to consider its verdict. The main issue for the
jury was the credibility of witnesses and the accused, he said. Judge Laing also said that sometimes returns of verdicts were
known to produce an emotional response, but he trusted the public gallery
would remain calm while the verdict was delivered. Edgar is accused of
seven counts of indecent assault and one of committing an indecent act while
a teacher at The jury heard more
than five days of testimony from alleged victims, their parents, the accused
and his former colleagues. Crown prosecutor David
Wilson, QC, and defence counsel Roger Laybourn
summed up their cases yesterday. The Crown alleges Edgar
touched the genitals of six boys and looked at another boy's penis. Mr Wilson described
Edgar as a "Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" who hid his consistent offending
from others at the school for years under a cloak of secrecy. Mr Wilson said:
"This comes about because people don't recognise what they see and if
they do, don't tell anyone." Mr Laybourn
told the jury the boys' allegations had fundamental flaws. "How can you trust
and rely on a witness that tells such conflicting stories?" Mr Laybourn asked. "That in itself should make you have serious doubts about his
allegations." A series of defence
witnesses, mostly former colleagues of Edgar, described him as a talented
teacher. They said Edgar had a reputation for professionalism and honesty and
was popular with students. The public gallery was
full today with Edgar's supporters and some parents of the alleged victims. They then waited
outside courtroom three for the jury to return a verdict. |
