Former LGH nurse said he doesn't remember two witnesses staying overnight

The ex-nurse had historical allegations made against him of indecent assault, allegedly dating back to March and November 1989.

The man pleaded not guilty to the two counts, and the hearing began at the Launceston Magistrates Court on June 25.

The two complainants took the stand before magistrate Ken Stanton, and both alleged that the former nurse had touched their genitals.

Complainant A claimed that when he was around 12 years old, he'd stayed overnight at the accused's house when the accused climbed into his bed, put his hand down his pants and underwear and touched his genitals.

The accused was around 30 years old at the time of the alleged offence in March 1989.

Witness B alleged that he, too, had stayed overnight at the former nurse's house. He said his pyjama pants had been entirely or partially removed, and the nurse massaged his bottom.

The court heard that Witness B claimed the nurse asked him to turn over, which would have exposed his genitals.

"I said no, it made me very awkward, very uncomfortable," Witness B said.

The second complainant, Complainant C, appeared before the court on June 26 and alleged that the nurse had sexually abused him when the boy had been admitted to the LGH for pneumonia in November, 1989.

The complainant said the nurse had felt around the boy's abdomen because he'd had a "sore tummy", but said he doesn't remember telling the nurse that information.

Complainant C alleged the nurse had been down on one knee and was touching the boy's genitals - including his foreskin - when he began to lean forward with his mouth open.

The complainant said he'd hit the nurse's hand away and ran back to his bed in the paediatric ward and told his parents in the morning what allegedly happened.

Complainant C previously stated that he and his parents were escorted into a meeting the morning after the incident with Dr Peter Renshaw - former director of medical services at the LGH from 1989 until he retired in 2022.

Complainant C's father, around 73 years old, was called to the stand via video link on June 26, but said his son had not accompanied him to the meeting with Dr Renshaw.

The court heard that Complainant C's father had said, "my child was molested in the children's ward and [he] wanted it reported to police".

Defence lawyer Fabiano Cangelosi asked the complainant's father in a cross-examination whether the boy had actually described to his father that his genitals had been touched.

"[My son said the accused] gave him a medical inspection down there, it doesn't need to be spelled out," Complainant C's father said.

The accused said he didn't really remember Complainant A or Witness B, nor did he remember visiting Complainant A's home or having the boys stay overnight at his own address.

A recorded police interview from December 23, 2021, was played in court of the police showing the accused evidence of a red guest book, kept by Complainant A's mother.

The video showed that he had signed the book and visited the boy's family home in Smithton at least three times.

"You've convinced me I must've gone to Smithton, but I don't remember going there ... it's a long journey," the former nurse said.

Police asked the accused whether the complainant's name rang any bells, but the nurse said he wasn't familiar with it though may have seen the name pop up on LinkedIn or Facebook in the last few weeks.

In the same video interview, the accused was asked whether he'd ever had children that weren't related to him at his house for weekend stays, to which he said "no comment".

The police asked the ex-nurse point blank whether he'd ever sexually abused Complainant A.

"I have no memory of doing so, I shudder at the thought," he said.

"You hear all the stuff in the media and it traumatises people; I don't have it in my heart to traumatise anyone.

"I don't remember physically assaulting [Complainant A]."

The accused said he did remember Complainant C while working as a nurse at the LGH children's ward.

In a second recorded police interview played in court, the former nurse said he'd performed an abdominal examination of Complainant C in the kitchen and that the boy's pyjama pants had been pulled down, but denied touching the boy's genitals.

The accused claimed he wanted to visually check the boy didn't have an infection and it was his "general nature to ask permission to do anything".

"I suddenly thought because he's got an infection of some sort [pneumonia], could he have mesenteric adenitis?" the accused said in the police interview.

"Something that back then was so simple a procedure, has 30 years later got the police knocking on my door," the nurse said in the recorded interview.

The hearing was adjourned until December.

National sexual assault support: 1800 RESPECT, Laurel House (03) 6334 2740 (Launceston), (03) 6431 9711 (Burnie and Devonport), Sexual Assault Support Service (SASS) on 1800 697 877.