A takeaway store owner, who has since been found not guilty by a jury of indecently treating a teen employee, phoned an informant in the weeks leading up to his trial, a court has heard.
Douglas Gaylard, 77, was found not guilty of two counts of indecent treatment of children under 16 in a Mackay District Court trial ending on May 4.
Gaylard, who for decades with wife Kaye ran Chick-A-Dee store on Nebo Rd, faced Mackay Magistrates Court less than fortnight later on Monday, May 15.
The court heard Gaylard had phoned a witness on February 28, breaking a condition of his bail while awaiting trial.
“He was asking for her address,” police prosecutor Leonie Taufa’ao said.
“The call lasted 17 seconds and was terminated.
“The informant contacted police.”
Ms Taufa’ao said when Gaylard when to report for bail on March 5, police arrested him and asked him about the call.
“He declined to answer any questions in relation to the matter,” she said.
Chick-a-dee’s Doug and Kaye Gaylard (who is not accused of any wrongdoing), ran the shop for years. Picture: Shakira Sellen
The court heard Gaylard also broke a condition of bail on November 30, 2022, when he failed to report to an officer in charge.
Defence solicitor Sean Gibbs said Gaylard had checked in after the required time as a doctor’s appointment had run late.
Mr Gibbs said Gaylard had told police he had become confused about his bail conditions due to his memory issues as he got older.
Magistrate Bronwyn Hartigan said contacting a witness was “very serious” but she noted Gaylard had shown “substantial compliance” with reporting for almost three years, and was “otherwise (of) good character”.
Ms Hartigan fined him $500 but chose not to record convictions for breaching his bail as a jury had found him not guilty of the indecent treatment charges at trial.