Former diplomat Sir Trevor Garland allegedly sexually assaulted a St Vincent's Hospital patient he was helping look after as part of a program for sick Solomon Islands residents.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The alleged abuse of power came three years after the 62-year-old former honorary consul to the Solomon Islands had his role terminated by the Australian government because he failed to meet good character requirements.
Sir Trevor appeared before Central Local Court on Friday via videolink, shaking and sighing repeatedly, wearing an untucked white shirt.
Police had arrested him after he attended Kings Cross Police Station about 9am on Thursday, charging him with four counts of aggravated sexual assault of a 24-year-old man "under authority of offender".
The alleged attacks took place on four separate days between March and April last year at Sir Trevor's historic home, "The Oaks" at Oakhurst in Sydney's west, police said. Detectives from Strike Force Moorooba raided the Victorian mansion on Thursday, seizing "a number of items".
Sir Trevor, knighted by Prince Charles in 2010 for his services to the Solomon Islands, was also charged with two counts of illegally accessing medical records of a St Vincent's patient on January 15 from a computer at his home.
The alleged victim of the sexual assaults was a patient in the "10 bed" program that has brought gravely ill Solomon Islands residents to Sydney for free treatment each year, Fairfax Media understands.
St Vincent's Hospital said it had taken "immediate steps to ensure the safety of our patients" and banned Sir Trevor from entering hospital grounds.
"Mr Garland is not an employee of St Vincent's Hospital Sydney and does not act on the hospital's behalf in any capacity," a spokeswoman said.
"Mr Garland was appointed by the Solomon Islands Government and its High Commission in Australia to provide out-of-hospital support to islanders participating in the St Vincent's-Solomon Islands tertiary patients referral program.
"The Solomon Islands government is responsible for overseeing the activities of this role."
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement Sir Trevor "has never been employed by DFAT or represented Australia in any diplomatic capacity".
However, honorary consuls require approval from the department and Fairfax Media understands it terminated his on character grounds in 2014.
On Friday afternoon, prosecutors opposed bail and said Sir Trevor had been on parole at the time of the alleged offences. The nature of those offences could not be confirmed.
His barrister, Richard Battley, had sought Sir Trevor's release but said he was unaware of any parole term. Mr Battley urged the magistrate to factor in his client's medical condition, saying Sir Trevor had been taken to hospital on Thursday night before being taken to Surry Hills Police Station.
A friend of Sir Trevor's, speaking outside court, said she did not believe the allegations as he was a "gentle, kind, compassionate" man. She also described him as deeply unwell, suffering from a "neurological condition", possibly Parkinson's disease. The court file coversheet referred to a medical assessment for Parkinson's.
An honorary consul for nearly 20 years, Sir Trevor was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1991 and has received other recognitions such as the Cross of the Solomon Islands in 2009.
Magistrate Beverly Schurr deferred the matter to next week, formally refusing bail.