No collusion, say abuse trial four

By Harry McRandle

The former St Martin care home where Gordon Wateridge was a house parent. He denies charges of indecent assault

The former St Martin care home where Gordon Wateridge was a house parent. He denies charges of indecent assault

FOUR witnesses in the trial of a Haut de la Garenne house parent charged with indecency yesterday denied colluding over giving their evidence in the Royal Court.

It was put to them that they had e-mailed each other about their claims before taking the stand to testify against Gordon Claude Wateridge.

Two brothers, their sister and another woman who had stayed at the St Martin children home in the early 1970s were questioned in the Royal Court about e-mails and conversations they had had this year via online videophone.

Mr Wateridge (78) denies 19 counts of indecent assault on young girls in his care as well as one of inciting boys to commit an indecent assault on a girl and a charge of common assault on a boy.

The line of questioning followed for much of the fourth day of the trial by Wateridge’s defence counsel, Advocate Mike Preston, related to the communication between the four witnesses. They all denied collusion.