TWO corruption charges against a former Albury police officer and now juvenile justice services worker are staying in Wagga — at least for the time being — despite the protestations of Albury magistrate Tony Murray.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The case against Regina Watson, 39, was mentioned in Wagga Local Court yesterday by Director of Public Prosecutions lawyer Tonia Adamson.
Watson has been charged with two counts of making a collusive agreement with a member of the NSW Police Force.
The charges come under bribery or corruption offences listed in the NSW Police Act 1990.
It is alleged Watson tried to make a collusive agreement with a police member on two separate occasions last year — July 18 and August 12.
Albury Local Court has been told the charges against Watson relate to alleged offences in Albury.
An Albury police officer, Lee Michael McCarthy, 51, is alleged to be a co-offender.
He has been charged with twice accessing restricted data on the NSW police computer system.
When McCarthy’s case was mentioned in Albury Local Court on November 26, Mr Murray questioned why the charges against Watson were listed in Wagga and said both matters should be heard in Albury unless there was a very good reason to do otherwise.
In Wagga Local Court yesterday, there was no mention of moving Watson’s case to Albury.
Wagga-based Ms Adamson told magistrate Megan Greenwood she was appearing for the Crown on instructions from the special prosecutions unit in Sydney.
She said her instructions were the brief of evidence was to have been served by December 11 and that while further brief items had been served on December 10, she believed there had been difficulties in getting all Juvenile Justice records required.
She asked for and was granted an extension until late January to provide all of the brief.
“I’m hoping to have someone from Sydney here (for the next court mention),” Ms Adamson said.
Watson was excused from attending court yesterday as long as she was represented by a lawyer.
Wagga solicitor Zac Tankard represented Watson yesterday and asked that she also be excused from attending court when the matter returns on February 5.
Ms Greenwood granted the request.
Watson left the NSW Police Force in 2012 after having worked as a youth liaison officer.
She is presently suspended from Juvenile Justice.