Sex monster’s desperate pill act when a jury finally found the Labor guru guilty of vile crimes against kids – after a breathtaking legal blunder hid his identity for seven years while he stalked the corridors of power
Former New South Wales government adviser Craig Munnings was found guilty of 14 historical child sex offences after a trial at Gosford District Court. The case drew attention because a clerical error had kept his identity suppressed for seven years while proceedings were repeatedly delayed; immediately after the verdicts began being read, court staff intervened after he appeared to swallow pills.
Munnings, 61, had worked for several NSW Labor ministers and was charged in February 2019 over allegations involving two girls in the 1980s and early 1990s, which he denied. He spent seven years on bail, with nine trial dates set and several trials aborted, before representing himself in the final month-long trial; the jury convicted him after four hours and 46 minutes of deliberation.
- Former NSW adviser convicted of 14 child sex offences.
- Identity suppression reportedly resulted from a clerical error.
- Court staff stopped him after apparent pill-taking during verdicts.
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Craig Munnings was a government adviser who worked for several ministers in New South Wales, an Australian state. He was charged in 2019 with historical offences involving two girls, which he denied.
The allegations related to events in the 1980s and early 1990s, and the court case was delayed repeatedly over several years. A clerical error meant his identity remained suppressed while the case was under way, drawing attention to how court processes can affect what the public knows about cases involving alleged offences.