Sex charges in two courts

Two men charged with sexual offending against children appeared before the Kaitaia and Kaikohe District Courts yesterday.

James Brian Sanders (65) appeared before Judge John McDonald in Kaitaia, and was further remanded in custody without plea on 22 charges, some of them representative, of indecent assault and two of unlawful sexual connection. There were seven female victims, the court heard, aged under 12 to 12-16, duty solicitor Tony Shepherd conceding that more charges could yet be laid.

The identity of the school where Sanders had worked, and his role there, were further suppressed, Judge McDonald, Mr Shepherd and prosecutor Duncan Coleman all agreeing that as far as identifying the accused was concerned the horse had bolted.

"Everyone in that community will know who he is," Judge McDonald said, adding that there was nothing he could do to prevent the media from going to the accused's home, as Mr Shepherd said had already happened.

"He has a wife of 42 years who has no part in these proceedings," Mr Shepherd said.

Meanwhile the former principal of a Northland Christian school appeared in Kaikohe on 10 historic sex abuse charges, including four of sodomy, involving two boys aged 12-16. Raymond George Melrose, (Paihia) was the principal of Kaikohe Christian School from 1997 until earlier this year, but the charges date back to the late 1960s and early 1970s, when he was teaching outside Northland.

The 68-year-old appeared before a registrar and was remanded on bail until November 22. Bail conditions include that he not associate with two named men, understood to be the complainants, and one woman. He was also ordered not to have any unsupervised contact with children aged under 16.

His lawyer, Catherine Cull, did not seek suppression. No indication was given as to pleas.