Tasmania Supreme Court judge Gregory Geason found guilty of assault

ABC NEWS (Australia)

A Tasmanian Supreme Court judge has been found guilty of assault and emotional abuse. Justice Gregory Geason has appeared in the Hobart magistrates court where presiding Victorian Deputy chief magistrate Susan Wakeling handed down her decision.

Transcript

00:00Justice Gheeson was asked to take leave from the Supreme Court in November over what the

00:06government described as a serious matter. It was later revealed he had been charged

00:11with one count of assault and one count of emotional abuse or intimidation, and he pleaded

00:16not guilty to both.

00:18Victorian Magistrate Susan Wakeling has been overseeing the case due to the unusual circumstances.

00:24In July, the court heard allegations that Justice Gheeson assaulted a woman by grabbing

00:28her, striking her to the chest and pushing her into a mantelpiece, causing bruising

00:33and a concussion.

00:34Justice Gheeson told the court the woman had tripped and fallen due to alcohol intoxication

00:39and bruising on her arms was caused by him helping her up.

00:42Today, Magistrate Wakeling said she accepted evidence from a doctor that the injuries were

00:46most likely caused by an assault and not accidental, and said they were acts done in anger.

00:52She also found that he tracked the woman's movements, used vicious insults and pressured

00:57her into putting her house up as equity for a loan, and said the woman was a witness of

01:02truth and convincing.

01:04The Tasmanian government has legislation before parliament to set up a process to handle complaints

01:09about judges. In the meantime, it's not yet clear whether the government will move a motion

01:13in parliament to remove Justice Gheeson from the bench.

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