Former Anglican Dean of Newcastle Graeme Russell Lawrence will stand trial in Newcastle district court in June, charged with allegedly indecently and sexually abusing a 15-year-old boy in the Hunter in 1991. Judge Roy Ellis set down a start date for the trial, which is expected to take at least 10 days, on Monday. Read more: Royal commission day 13 The court heard the Crown could call as many as 28 witnesses during the trial. The former dean, who was defrocked in 2012, was arrested in 2017 following a referral from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Mr Lawrence previously denied child sex allegations during the royal commission's hearing in Newcastle. Read more: Former Anglican Dean of Newcastle Graeme Lawrence and the fall from grace He was charged in 2017 with aggravated indecent assault on a victim under the age of 16 and aggravated sexual assault. Mr Lawrence, 76, was sitting in the public gallery as his case was mentioned in Newcastle district court on Monday. Read more: Former Anglican Dean to face trial The trial was set down for June 17. Judge Ellis continued Mr Lawrence's bail.
https://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/tmUaC97GWTfBTvbgiBtbEs/26950182-6baa-49f0-bce2-e941c8512f64.jpg/r8_171_3495_2141_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg
Former Anglican Dean of Newcastle Graeme Russell Lawrence to face trial in June
Nick Bielby
Charged: Anglican Dean of Newcastle Graeme Lawrence during his farewell service in 2008.
Former Anglican Dean of Newcastle Graeme Russell Lawrence will stand trial in Newcastle district court in June, charged with allegedly indecently and sexually abusing a 15-year-old boy in the Hunter in 1991.
Judge Roy Ellis set down a start date for the trial, which is expected to take at least 10 days, on Monday.
Read more: Royal commission day 13
The court heard the Crown could call as many as 28 witnesses during the trial.
The former dean, who was defrocked in 2012, was arrested in 2017 following a referral from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
Mr Lawrence previously denied child sex allegations during the royal commission's hearing in Newcastle.
Read more: Former Anglican Dean of Newcastle Graeme Lawrence and the fall from grace
He was charged in 2017 with aggravated indecent assault on a victim under the age of 16 and aggravated sexual assault.
Mr Lawrence, 76, was sitting in the public gallery as his case was mentioned in Newcastle district court on Monday.
Read more: Former Anglican Dean to face trial
The trial was set down for June 17.
Judge Ellis continued Mr Lawrence's bail.