Vanessa Scammell

Eventually, we discovered what the charge was for, and it seemed that the going-home scene from the Rocky Horror Show of 2014 had again become a crime scene.

C1 gave further evidence that the following day she approached the producer of the Rocky Horror Show, John Frost, about the assault and told him she was frightened, that Mr Frost then gave her his phone number and said she could call him any time.

But that wasn't all.

Further allegations were made about an incident that occurred at the end of that same show, whereby C1 alleged that in the bows, that while the cast were directed to clap the band, Craig clapped aggressively in her face and that C2 was a witness to this.

Unlike the majority of the charges Craig McLachlan faced, the police and prosecutors were relying on multiple eyewitnesses for this common assault charge.

In fact, in his opening address in court, the prosecutor stated that the witnesses known as C2, C3...

Ensemble Member 1 and the sound technician all saw the accused man, Craig, grab C1's jaw and that they would be relying on their evidence to get a conviction.

Well, it certainly seemed that for this particular charge, there was indeed enough evidence for the DPP to have legitimately lay charges against Craig.

It seemed that this was the charge that might stick, for they had so many witnesses.

Didn't they?

Well, witness accounts and statements are not always as they seem.

I'll begin with a summary of Craig's evidence.

The following excerpt is being compiled through notes and personal experiences of the courtroom.

It represents the lines and questions that were asked in open court.

Names have been changed for privacy and editorial reasons.

Craig's barrister then spoke of the evidence C1 had given, claiming that after this incident she had spoken to the resident director.

Craig was then asked if the resident director had spoken to him about C1.

Having heard Craig's evidence, now let's go to the prosecution eyewitnesses who the police relied upon in order that charges be laid.

In determined evidence in chief, C2 claimed that she saw the accused man, Craig, grab C1's face by the jaw and throw her face to one side.

that she would have been four or five metres away on the other side of the stage, and that afterwards, during the final bows, he clapped right in C1's face, aggressively.