Wayne Jeffrey Doherty: Alleged home burglary, sexual assault charges may be dropped due to prosecution delays

Charges against a Broome man accused of sexually assaulting one of his tenants has been pushed by his lawyer to have them discontinued due to delays in filing an indictment and brief by prosecution. Wayne Jeffrey Doherty appeared before Broome District Court on June 27 charged with two counts of sexual penetration without consent in the course of an aggravated home burglary and one count of aggravated home burglary. The 63-year-old pleaded not guilty to the charges in December last year, four months after the allege assault occurred. Mr Doherty’s lawyer Nick Brookes voiced his clients frustration with the delays after the court heard the prosecutor of the case had been ill and unable to file the brief and indictment before June 20. Judge Belinda Lonsdale told Mr Brookes he can apply to have the charges dismissed if the indictment was not filed by prosecution before July 24. Mr Doherty is due to appear in court again later next month, having his bail extended until then.