The prosecution will seek to demonstrate that there was a deliberate cover-up by the church of Frank Houston’s pedophilia. Frank Houston’s son, Brian Houston the founder of Hillsong church is on trial charged with failing to report his father’s sexual assaults to the police.
The direction the prosecution will take was revealed when the defence barrister Phillip Boulten SC attempted to tender a 2003 medical report stating that Frank Houston has Alzheimer’s and that it had been present for four years, and consequently Frank Houston was unable to deal with things from the past.
Giving reasons for opposing the tabling of the medical report the prosecution said that it would show that Frank Houston had preached after he had been told not to (according to Brian Houston’s account), and that his preaching was coherent.
Brian Houston making statements that Frank Houston had not preached formed part of wider evidence of a cover up the Crown alleges..
Earlier, Brian Houston’s sermons and conversations with Hillsong’s general manager George Aghajanian were to focus of sharp questioning. On day four of the trial inconsistencies in the Aghajanian evidence caused the prosecution to ask that he be cross-examined again.
Before a short break to set up videos of Brian Houston’s sermons, Aghajanian was questioned about reporting Frank Houston’s crime to the police. And the department of community services. But after the break, he changed his evidence.
Defence barrister Boulten SC asked him before the break “Did you think about the idea of telling the police?”
Aghajanian: “No.”
Boulten: “Why not?”
Aghajanian: “The matter was 30 years old, it was prior to the formation of our church, the victim was an adult, and we had referred it to the ACC [the Australian Christian Churches then called the Assemblies of God.] I thought we had dealt with it appropriately.”
He also commented, “I had not heard of section 315 of the crimes act until the Royal Commission.”
Boulten asked a follow-up question. “Can you remember anything about anything you heard about the victim’s attitude about going to the police?”
Aghajanian: “No I don’t recall anything about the victim’s attitude about going to the police.”
But after the short break to set up an audio and video clip of two of Brian Houston’s sermons, Boulten announced that Aghajanian wanted to correct some evidence.
Bouten: “What did you want to correct?”
Aghajanian: ”My only knowledge of the victim’s wishes was information from Brian Houston.”
Boulton: “Somewhere around 1999 or 2000?” “Yes”
Asking what was the relevance, Aghajanian is asked by Boulten ”An adult making a decision about something important to him?” “Yes” Aghajanian responds.
The witness is asked to leave the court as the lawyers debate whether he should be cross-examined by the Crown on the basis that this evidence is hostile to them. It was argued that Aghajanian had added a further reason for not reporting Frank Houston to the police namely the victim’s wishes for it not to be reported. He has not raised that in his police statement or at the royal commission. Crown Prosecutor Gareth Harrison, notes “The witness has had a remarkable improvement in his memory.”
Questioned closely by Harrison, Aghajanian says that he can’t remember precisely when he got information about victim/survivor Brett Sengstock’s wishes. “I can’t recall when. I don’t remember clearly.” Asked to confirm whether it was after the Mudford phone call and before the end of 2000, he responds, “I can’t rule it out.”
Asked why he had not mentioned in other evidence – at the Royal Commission or in his police statement – hearing about the victim’s wishes Aghajanian responds “I am trying to recollect events from 20 years ago. My recollection is that Brian told me. I am sorry. I can’t remember if it was in the first two years.’
Former Senior Pastor of Inspire Church, John McMartin who is awaiting judgment in a case of sexual assault, was the next witness. He was the NSW State president of the ACC from 2008 to 2018. He was the pastor that Kevin Mudford and Barbara Taylor had approached for advice, in September 1998.
He was able to recall that meeting from memory. “What did you do with the information you had been given?’ Gareth Harrison the Crown prosecutor asked. “I was a little bit miffed and frustrated ‘Why did you tell me that?’” He had no name, no details.
They came back in May 1999. “‘You won’t tell me the perpetrator’s name?’ That was the feeling.”If you can’t trust me, tell Brian Houston. He’s higher up than me.’”
Finally in September of 1999 Barbara Taylor told him Frank Houston was the perpetrator. “She told me the perpetrator’s name and the complainant’s name but that the complainant was unwilling to co-operate.”.
I said that’s good – we’ve got the perpetrator’s name and the complainant’s name – now we need a written complaint to take it forward.”.
He spoke to Pastor Wayne Alcorn who was on the national executive. The NSW leader Ian Woods was suffering from prostate cancer. They agreed that McMartin should take it to Brian Houston who was the national president.
Brian Houston was away so it was November 99 when John McMartin rang him. Harrison asked him what he had said.
McMartin: “I have sad news. Your father has been accused of misconduct against a minor.”
Harrison: “What was the reaction?”
McMartin: “Shocked. Then he said ‘How do you know it’s true?’ I said ‘I don’t know if it is true. But it needs to be investigated’”.
Here’ McMartin’s memory fades. He is asked by Harrison “Did you pass on the victim’s name in this conversation?”
McMartin: “I have a dilemma. I am not too sure I knew the name. I knew it was a child.”
Harrison: “Did you tell him that in the call?’’
McMartin: “Yes.”
Asked what he expected to happen McMartin says that Brian Houston “would pass it on to the national Executive and contact his dad.”
The court rose.