Robert Hughes appeals conviction

Former Hey Dad! actor Robert Hughes is appealing his 2014 conviction when he was found guilty of the sexual and indecent assault of four young girls.

He was sentenced to 10 years, 9 months imprisonment, with a 6 year non-parole period.

Today barrister Phillip Boulten SC told the court of criminal appeal that the trial miscarried in part due to publicity and social media undermining his case before trial, including paid interviews by complainants with A Current Affair and Woman’s Day.

“This was a case where there was poisonous vilification of the applicant not by mainstream media but by very effective social media that involved the most poisonous and vile publication that anyone could ever receive.”

Last year Judge Peter Zahra said Hughes was brazen, predatory, persistent and calculated, taking advantage of the trust placed in him and described his actions as “degrading and shameful.”

Hughes did not appear in court today.

The hearing continues.

Source: Guardian