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A city’s former Citizen of the 12 months has been banged up behind bars on serial youngster abuse costs after he confronted court docket for a prolonged bail listening to on Tuesday.
Laurence ‘Laurie’ Wilfred Norris, 63, appeared in Forbes Native Court docket, in central west NSW, on Tuesday charged with greater than 70 intercourse offences, together with rape and crimes towards youngsters.
The 63-year-old was granted conditional bail following his arrest final Wednesday as he had an pressing chemotherapy appointment for his leukaemia the next day.
Nonetheless, Justice of the Peace Shields on Tuesday denied his bail and cited the ‘very severe’ allegations towards him as the primary purpose.
‘It might take only a few of these issues to be confirmed for Mr Norris to search out himself dealing with full-time custody with a really, very important time period,’ he mentioned.
Laurence ‘Laurie’ Wilfred Norris (pictured) has been remanded in custody for greater than 70 alleged intercourse offences, together with rape and crimes towards youngsters
Norris was granted strict conditional bail following his arrest (pictured) on Might 15 attributable to his ongoing remedy for leukaemia
His spouse Rachael Morgan, sat close to her husband – who wore a gray blanket and face masks – and cried, ‘You may kill him’ as Justice of the Peace Shields delivered his resolution.
Norris’ lawyer, Stephanie Shields, argued he needs to be granted bail so he might proceed to obtain chemotherapy remedy and stay monitored at residence by his spouse, a former nurse.
Nonetheless, Justice of the Peace Shields famous Norris would ‘not be the one particular person in custody with a severe medical situation’.
‘I’m compelled to the conclusion his wants will be sufficiently met in custody and such they might not present why detention just isn’t justified,’ Justice of the Peace Shields mentioned.
‘I’m required by the Bail Act to refuse bail. The defendant [Norris] ought to return into custody.’
Norris is accused of sexually assaulting 4 ladies, three of which had been underneath 16 on the time of the alleged offences, between 1974 and 2023.
Officers arrested the 63-year-old final Thursday following an 18-month police investigation, which allegedly collected sufficient proof for a ‘very robust’ case towards him in line with court docket paperwork seen by Each day Mail Australia.
The fees towards him embody sexual assault of an individual underneath 16, sexual activity with out consent, tried rape, act of indecency with woman underneath 16 years, and sexually contact one other particular person with out consent.
He’s set to face Parkes Native Court docket through audio/visible hyperlink on July 18.
The court docket heard Norris was a ‘revered member of the Forbes neighborhood and have become very, very well-known provision of driving classes’ earlier than his alleged crimes got here to mild.
Norris was awarded Forbes Citizen of the 12 months on the Australia Day ceremony in 2022 for his ‘dedication to making sure generations of residents take pleasure in and obtain in horse driving and sports activities’ and was the previous president of the Forbes Pony Membership.
Justice of the Peace Shields discovered Norris (pictured) would be capable to obtain remedy whereas in custody and cited the ‘very severe’ allegations towards him as the primary purpose for his custody
Forbes Native Court docket (pictured) Justice of the Peace Shields heard Norris was a ‘revered member of the Forbes neighborhood and have become very, very well-known provision of driving classes’ earlier than his alleged crimes got here to mild
He hails from a farming household well-known inside the Eugowra neighborhood; his father Wilf Norris was a preferred farmer recognized for his use of horses to draught fields and his mom Pat was a horse rider and polocrosse participant.
Wilf, who died final 12 months aged 95, acquired an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for his work with draught horses and repair to heritage preservation, having helped to arrange the Australian Draught Horse Stud E-book Society and Golden Plough competitors.
Norris carried on his household’s love for horses by mentoring younger riders and providing horse cart rides at native occasions. He’s additionally a member of the committee for the native Driving for Disabled Affiliation.
In keeping with media studies on the time of his honour, Norris was described as a ‘tireless employee’ and ‘in style inside the neighborhood’ who voluntarily gave his time to mentor and coach younger riders.
Accepting his award, Norris mentioned he liked working with the Pony Membership as a result of educating children the way to trip helped ‘hold them secure’.
‘Horses are nice levellers,’ he instructed the Forbes Advocate in 2022.
‘Pony Membership helps children change into higher horse folks, protecting them secure.
‘What it teaches children is the way to be aggressive, the way to act, the way to develop up and be an excellent human being.’
Norris grew to become concerned with the Pony Membership as a rider in 1975 earlier than happening to journey round Australia working as a wrangler in films, together with The Man From Snowy River.
He returned to Forbes in 2000 and have become re-involved with the Pony Membership, which has round 50 members.
Norris dropped his gray blanket and took off his face masks as he was led into custody from the courtroom by two officers.
His spouse was faraway from the courtroom for her outburst whereas his members of the family cried from the gallery.
Norris (centre) is about to seem in Parkes Native Court docket through audio/visible hyperlink on July 18 for greater than 70 costs
Norris (pictured) is accused of sexually assaulting 4 ladies, three of which had been underneath 16 on the time of the alleged offences, between 1974 and 2023
Norris will proceed to endure his chemotherapy remedy whereas in custody.
Strike Power Boche was established in October 2022 to analyze studies of alleged historic youngster sexual abuse by Norris.
As investigations proceed, anybody with info is urged to name police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
