NSW: Court told Marsden visited Channel 7 witness in jail

AAP General News (Australia)
02-10-2000
NSW: Court told Marsden visited Channel 7 witness in jail

A court has been told that solicitor JOHN MARSDEN visited a prisoner due to be called
as a witness for Channel 7 in his defamation case against the station.

Channel 7's QC, ROBERT STITT, has told the New South Wales Supreme Court that Mr MARSDEN
spoke to STEVEN ELOMARI in the remand centre of Silverwater jail when the defamation case
was not on last Friday.

He called for the production of all documents shown to Mr ELOMARI, and all documents
regarding payment of money by or on behalf of Mr MARSDEN to secure his release on bail.

IAN BARKER, QC, for Mr MARSDEN, said there was nothing to produce in relation to a
payment and the other documents may be subject to a claim of privilege to be made at a
later date.

Channel 7 is defending the proceedings brought by Mr MARSDEN over 1995 and 1996 broadcasts
which claimed he had sex with under-age boys.

In other developments, JOHN EDWIN MAYNARD testified that he was 15 or 16 when he first
had sex with the solicitor at his home between December 1986 and November 1987.

He claimed they watched a pornographic video called Three the hard way.

But Mr BARKER today told him the video was not produced in America until January 1989
to which Mr MAYNARD replied that he have confused the name of the video.

The hearing is continuing.

AAP RTV mss/sb/dmc/jn

KEYWORD: MARSDEN SYDNEY

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