Bill D'Arcy in happier times.
THE FOUR CRIMINAL TRIALS AND ONE CIVIL TRIAL (+Appeals)
All charges are ancient.
Trial 1 was in 2000
goes back to the early 60s at Yalleroi State School in western Queensland. There were 18 charges involving 4 complainants 3 females & 1 male. One complainant aged about 8-9 alleged 3 rapes, one of them in front of about 25 students in the small classroom of a one teacher school. (She said she had no memory, only "pictures in her mind".
No corroboration of any kind was produced. In fact there has never been any direct corroboration of any single offence at all in this or any of the other trials). The verdict here was 18 convictions and sentence was 14 years.
APPEAL
Bill lost his appeal on convictions, but sentence was reduced to 10 years at the Queensland Court of Appeal. Subsequently leave to appeal to the High Court was refused.
Trial 2 was in 2002.
One complainant from Logan Village State School. There were three charges. The judge directed one acquittal (she failed to come up to proof). The jury then found one acquittal, and one conviction. Six months was added to Bill's sentence.
APPEAL
Lost appeal to Queensland Court of appeal. Leave to appeal to High Court denied.
Trial 3 was in late 2003.
There were four complainants from two schools some forty plus years old, "recovered memory" like charges. The trial was aborted after one complainant didn't come up to proof on either of her two charges, and another on one charge.
Trial 4 in 2004,
One complainant (the original complainant) . There were three charges, and three convictions. A one year sentence was added concurrent with the the present sentence, and an extra six months was added, and with the six months added from Trial Two - this made eleven years at hsi point.
APPEAL
Appeal to Qld Court of Appeal
Mid 2004 all remaining charges ruled NOLLE PROSEQUI - never to proceed. This means no more trials. No morew charges pending.
Trials 2 & 4 (same judge)
are linked re admission of prosecution witnesses and the sentences, so if the single conviction from trial two is overturned it will have implications for appeal on the judge's rulings and sentence in trial four at the Qld Court of Appeal. This appeal on Trial Four is currently delisted, pending developments with Trial Two.
Civil Trial in 2002
Further: Two complainants from the first trial went to the Civil Court in 2002 to get the statute of limitations lifted to sue Bill. Judge Botting refused, pointing out inconsistencies in complainants' evidence and ruling that a fair trial was unlikely. He awarded costs for Bill D'Arcy against the complainants. They also lost in their attempt to sue the Queensland Education Department going as far as the High Court. They again lost costs but the Government waived them.
Bill still maintains his innocence and refuses to do the sexual offenders course which requires admission of guilt.
Note: There are no allegations pertaining to any time after 1974.