QLD:Horse trainer sexually abused girl: court

AAP General News (Australia)
12-06-2010
QLD:Horse trainer sexually abused girl: court

By Christine Flatley

BRISBANE, Dec 6 AAP - A prominent Queensland trainer used a young girl's love of horses
to bribe and coerce her into a sexual relationship, a court has been told.

Barry David Winchester, 62, of Deagon, abused the girl - who cannot be named - over
a 20-month period from January 2007, prosecutor Chris Minnery told the Brisbane District
Court on Monday.

Winchester has pleaded not guilty to 29 charges, including seven of rape, six of indecent
treatment of a child and one of maintaining a sexual relationship with a child.

During the crown's opening, the court was told the abuse started after the girl, then
aged 12, went to watch Winchester train horses.

He allegedly told her he would give her a horse if she performed a sexual act on him,
the court was told.

"She does what she's told and it's there, on the crown case, that the threats and abuse
started," Mr Minnery said.

He told the court the crown would allege Winchester systematically abused the girl
by "feeding her interest in horses".

The court was told Winchester coerced the girl into performing sexual favours with
him, and with others while he watched or charged money.

Mr Minnery said the girl reported the abuse to police after one of Winchester's associates
accused her of stealing horse equipment from the stables.

He told the jury they would hear "incredibly incriminating" evidence from a phone call
police recorded between Winchester and the girl.

During that call, Mr Minnery said, Winchester essentially admitted to the crime.

However, Winchester's defence barrister John Fraser said there would also be a large
amount of evidence that cast doubt on the girl's story.

He also said the court would hear evidence the girl had pretended she was older than
she actually was.

The girl's evidence will be given via a pre-recorded DVD, which runs for more than 12 hours.

The trial has been set down for two weeks.

AAP cf/crh/goc/apm

KEYWORD: WINCHESTER

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