Pell's lawyer asks why police trusted a 'nutter' and a 'troubled soul'


The lead detective in charge of investigating historical sex offence allegations against George Pell has been accused by the cardinal’s lawyers of charging him without examining conflicting evidence from witnesses.

Detective Acting Sergeant Christopher Reed, who was the lead investigator in Operation Tethering, a taskforce investigating Cardinal Pell that began in March 2013, was called to give evidence on Thursday during the final day of a hearing that will determine whether the cardinal stands trial.

Cardinal George Pell arrives at the Magistrates Court on Thursday.

Cardinal George Pell arrives at the Magistrates Court on Thursday.Credit:AAP

Cardinal Pell, 76, faces multiple historical sexual offence charges involving multiple complainants. Details of the charges are yet to be revealed. He has repeatedly and emphatically denied the allegations.

The cardinal's barrister, Robert Richter, QC, suggested that police had laid charges against Australia’s most senior Catholic without properly backing up the claims of alleged victims, including one who had given conflicting accounts of his alleged abuse.


Mr Richter took aim at one man who had spoken to police about allegations surrounding Cardinal Pell calling him a ‘‘bit of nutter.’’ He also described one of the complainants in the case as a ‘‘very troubled soul’’ and questioned why police didn’t check his psychiatric history.

Mr Richter suggested that if there are allegations made against prominent people “you need to assess the state of mind of the person making the allegation.”

Detective Acting Sergeant Reed told the court it was not always standard police practise to make those requests and that assessment was made at the time of talking to the complainant.

The court has previously heard that the same accuser gave police differing evidence in his statement to the information he conveyed to ABC journalist Louise Milligan during an interview on the 7.30 program.


The discrepancies related to the nature of alleged sexual offending and the placement of the cardinal’s hand during an alleged sexual assault.

Detective Acting Sergeant Reed was also pressed on a police decision to lay charges for another sexual alleged assault, in which Cardinal Pell is accused of exposing himself in his clerical robes after a Sunday Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne.

Mr Richter argued the court had heard evidence it would have been impossible for the cardinal to reveal himself without somebody helping him to remove his robes.

‘‘If it was completely unfeasible then there would have been no charges laid,’’ Detective Acting Sergeant Reed responded.

Mr Richter asked if the allegations against Cardinal Pell were treated like any other, or "was there a zeroing-in on him?"

Detective Acting Sergeant Reed said he disagreed with the statement "in its entirety".

A media pack greets the cardinal on Thursday.

A media pack greets the cardinal on Thursday.Credit:AAP

A white car pulled up out the front of the Melbourne’s Magistrate Court just before 9.30am on Thursday as it had done each day of the hearing, but the crowd and onlookers had dwindled.

Only a handful of supporters, holding placards in support of Cardinal Pell, stood outside the court.

Further down Williams Street, a small group of protesters, clutched signs condemning the Catholic Church.

The cardinal was mobbed by an awaiting media pack and for the first time since the hearing began three weeks ago, he greeted them with a ‘‘hello’’ as he stepped out of the car.

Cardinal Pell was escorted by police guard and within minutes he was inside the building.

As he walked into the small court room on the fifth level of the Melbourne’s Magistrate’s Court for the last time, an Easter egg had been left on the chair by a supporter, who called out: ‘‘That Easter egg is for George Pell.’’

Some charges being faced by Cardinal Pell have been withdrawn because one complainant died and another was deemed unfit to testify.

On Wednesday, the cardinal’s defence questioned whether the investigation was a ‘‘get Pell operation’’.

Mr Richter suggested Tethering started as an operation looking for a crime when no crimes had been reported.

Police have described it as an ‘‘intel probe.’’

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