Father accused of abusing daughter with multiple personalities found guilty in Newcastle Court
District Court judge Ian Bourke presided over the trial, which began in August. (Supplied: Mandy Graham)
In short:
After hearing evidence for more than five weeks a jury has found a father guilty of sexually abusing two of his children, one of whom has dissociative identity disorder.
The court revoked the offender's bail, which was being sought due to medical issues and he was taken into custody.
What's next?
The man will face a sentencing hearing in February 2025.
A man accused of the chronic abuse of his daughter with multiple personalities has been found guilty of raping her and a sibling over several years.
A key witness in the trial was a woman known as LN, who has dissociative identity disorder (DID), formerly known as multiple personality disorder.
Her father, known as SN, has been on trial in Newcastle District Court since October, after pleading not guilty to 26 child sex abuse offences relating to two of his children.
The trial was told by an expert witness that DID is almost always linked to abuse.
After a day and a half of deliberating, the jury reached its verdict at lunchtime on Thursday.
SN was found guilty on 23 charges.
The three remaining offences were back-up charges which didn't need to be considered because of the other guilty verdicts.
Family members siting in the public gallery cried when the verdicts were read out.
Bail revoked
The Crown asked for the offender's bail to be revoked and that he be taken into custody.
Defence barrister Garry Sundstrom opposed the detention application due to his client's medical history.
He noted the accused had surgery two weeks ago, during the trial, to have a pacemaker inserted.
Mr Sundstrom said his client needed to attend a follow-up appointment in coming weeks, along with other medical appointments.
Crown prosecutor Kristy Mulley said medical treatment could be provided in prison and that the offender's medical issues would not be "resolved or solved" before he was sentenced.
Judge Ian Bourke said "there can be no doubt the offences will require a term of full-time detention".
He revoked SN's bail and ordered he be taken into custody ahead of sentencing.
"I'm not satisfied that those matters are exceptional circumstances," Judge Bourke said in relation to the offender's medical issues.
He said the medical services the offender needed could be made available in prison.
Crown prosecutor Kristy Mulley earlier told the court the siblings had given credible evidence. (Supplied: Mandy Graham)
Witness sworn in multiple times
During her 10 days of giving evidence, LN was sworn in as herself and later as the alternative identities — or alters — of a 13-year-old, a five-year-old, and an older woman.
The case was the first of its kind in Australia.
There was a case in 2019 where another woman had permission to give evidence as different personalities, but no alters were sworn in after her father pleaded guilty mid-trial.
LN's sibling, AB, also alleged sexual, physical, emotional and financial abuse, accounting for 21 of the 26 charges levelled against SN.
During the trial, defence barrister Garry Sundstrom questioned the way the evidence was given. (Supplied: Mandy Graham)
Crown prosecutor Kristy Mulley earlier said both siblings had given "honest, reliable and credible evidence".
But defence barrister Garry Sundstrom took issue with the evidence of LN.
"It is my submission you would not accept her evidence due to her mental health issues, the way evidence was given and the way answers were avoided," he said.
Before the jury retired on Tuesday, Judge Bourke told jurors it was up to them to decide whether LN had dissociative identity disorder.
"You have to make your own assessment. You make that assessment on the expert evidence," he said.
"Put aside any prejudice, put aside sympathy, just look at the evidence."
The jurors ultimately accepted the Crown case, finding the accused guilty of 23 charges.
The man is due to be sentenced next year.