Court told of complaints surrounding Dr Blake set

Another hearing on the Craig McLachlan defamation case vs ABC, Fairfax and Christie Whelan Browne took place in the NSW Supreme Court yesterday.

According to media reports three women have now come forward with complaints during the filming of The Doctor Blake Mysteries.

“The new complainants have been added, one for the 2013 season, one for the 2014 season, and one for the 2015 season,”McLachlan’s barrister Matthew Richardson told the court.

“The conduct is mostly verbal, there is one unwanted kiss and one instance of inappropriate touching.”

He said defence documents include allegation that McLachlan “stuck a stiletto into Molly Meldrum”.

“This is recounted in Mr Meldrum’s own memoir,” Richardson added.

One complaint from 28 years ago was alleged to have “happened on live television” in the United Kingdom, but he has not seen nor been given a copy of the segment. Two more historical allegations  were too general, or from too long ago, and unrelated to the original complaints, he said.

“To plead a general allegation so you can pretty much run any particular under the sun, really it’s a royal commission into the plaintiff,” he said.

Earlier this year producers December Media ordered an investigation into conduct during The Doctor Blake Mysteries final season (2017).

There were findings the set could be “sexual, lewd, bawdy, ‘Benny-Hill-esque’ and crude,” but they cleared McLachlan of any misconduct.

Source: ABC