The special hearing and trial of twins accused of historical child sex abuse have been unexpectedly delayed until May, with Newcastle District Court hearing on Tuesday a key member of defence counsel had become aware she previously represented one of the alleged victims.
Stephen Mateer, 70, is facing a special hearing over 45 counts of child sex abuse against two alleged victims. He has been ruled unfit to stand trial because of cognitive impairment - dementia.
The hearing is being run concurrently with the judge-alone trial of Richard Mateer, charged with seven child sex abuse counts against one of the boys in the company of his brother.
The court heard on Tuesday morning of the conflict that had been discovered the previous afternoon, following the first day of the judge-alone trial and special hearing.
Stephen and Richard Mateer were arrested after detectives from Strike Force Arapaima - investigating the long-unsolved disappearances of Lake Macquarie girls including Robyn Hickie and Amanda Robinson - were tipped off to a string of alleged sexual assaults against two boys in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
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