A NSW prosecutor has
suggested if Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson is as demented as it's claimed
then he couldn't look after his own affairs let alone keep his job as one of
the country's leading clergymen.
Wilson, 67, is the most senior Catholic official in the world to
be charged with concealing child sexual assault.
He's failed to appear at Newcastle Local Court this week amid
fears he could be "malingering".
Crown prosecutor Gareth Harrison on Friday told the court he had
concerns about a letter Wilson sent to the Archdiocese of Adelaide on Tuesday
declaring he would not resign until doctors advised him his Alzheimer's disease
was affecting his ability to do his job.
Mr Harrison said Wilson's letter was sent out soon after
neurologist Dr Andrew Lee had told the court the archbishop had scored an
abnormally low 23 out of 30 in a cognitive assessment test during a
consultation on November 17.
Mr Harrison said such a low score indicated he was so impaired
he would not be able to look after his own affairs and would need someone to be
his power of attorney.
The prosecutor said the test results were in "stark
contrast" to the archbishop's letter sent to his archdiocese following the
court hearing.....
Mr Harrison on Friday told the court: "Clearly the accused (Wilson) is saying he has not been advised by his doctors that he has any significant impairment."
Dr Lee has diagnosed Wilson with Alzheimer's disease and cognitive difficulties.
But he also accepted it was possible the archbishop was malingering, which was why he believed more definitive testing was needed.
Wilson, who was not required to appear in court on Friday after having had a pacemaker fitted on November 22, will now be tested by neuropsychologist Dr Emma Scamps in Adelaide on Tuesday afternoon to find out if he is capable of understanding the case against him.
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