The hearing involving an Australian teacher accused of running a gambling syndicate with his students has collapsed due to comments made by the sitting magistrate, Michael Ong. Wollongong High teacher Phil Saunders is facing charges of indecent assault of a person under his authority, indecent assault of a person under 16, intimidation, and engaging in gambling with a minor.
The collapse of the hearing occurred after a police officer reported that Ong had expressed eagerness to find Saunders guilty and move on to the next case. This led to Ong recusing himself from the proceedings, citing concerns about public perception and confidence in the justice system.
The court had heard 29 days of evidence suggesting that Saunders was involved in running a gambling ring with his students. Witnesses testified to seeing a whiteboard displaying bets on English Premier League soccer games, with students’ names next to them. Money was reportedly collected from students and placed on the teacher’s desk, although there were no eyewitness accounts of Saunders collecting the cash.
In an unexpected twist, a friend of Saunders, Milos Dobre, had previously pleaded guilty to intimidating witnesses in the case. Despite Ong denying any bias towards the accused, he acknowledged that public perception and confidence in the justice system necessitated the dropping of the hearing.
The collapse of the hearing has resulted in significant legal costs, with bills exceeding AU$400,000 ($268,700). A new hearing is set to take place, expected to last around thirty days before a final verdict is reached. The case has raised questions about the integrity of the justice system and the impact of judicial bias on legal proceedings.