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July 16th, 2013 
Peter Nolan
Updated
Former Hey Dad! star Robert Hughes is set to proceed straight to trial on charges of indecent assault, after the actor’s lawyer indicated he will waive his right to a committal hearing.
Hughes is facing 11 charges relating to the indecent assault of five girls in Sydney between 1984 and 1990.
The court has heard two of the alleged victims participated in media interviews before the actor’s arrest last year.
At a hearing in Sydney today, the 64-year-old’s lawyer, Greg Walsh, was granted access to material from Channel Seven, Channel Nine and the Pacific Magazines Group after lawyers for the victims previously argued the material was protected.
Outside court, Mr Walsh also said he would be waiving his client’s right to a committal hearing and the matter will go straight to trial.
“That’s being done so we can expedite the matter,” he said.
“He wants to try to bring this to a head as quickly as possible.”
Mr Walsh is still waiting for access to material from Bauer Media, publisher of Woman’s Day.
He says the interview material is crucial to his client’s defence.
“Well I think it’s a matter of common sense. Any person who is making a complaint, if they are paid to give an account, it may well have relevance to their credibility and reliability,” he said.
“I would have thought that’s a matter of common sense but that is for the courts to determine.”
When asked if his client will clear his name, Mr Walsh said he was reasonably confident.
He says he is hoping to go to trial before the end of the year.
Topics:
courts-and-trials,
sexual-offences,
child-abuse,
television,
sydney-2000
First posted
Source Article from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-16/hey-dad21-star27s-defence-to-access-media-interviews/4823000
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