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Pastor wins court case

7:18pm Tuesday, 8th March 2011

It was the women of Village Church Annandale that made the difference when their Pastor, Dominic Steele, was sued for defamation by a disaffected pewsitter, Bruce Haddon a management consultant.

Haddon sued Steele and a church member Evan Batten over emails which attempted to warn off Haddon, now 60, after young women at the church complained about Haddon's manner towards them.

As the legal newsletter Justinian cheekily put it, a "bevy of beautiful blondes" appeared in the court case confirming their discomfort over Haddon's behavior and comments.

Haddon's court team put up their argument that in asking Haddon to stay away from the young women at the church Steele was responding to his doctrinal disagreements with the evangelical preaching. When Eternity visited the court during the case, Haddon's barrister was attempting to prove that Steele and Batten had demonstrated malice towards Haddon. Haddon's barrister seemed to be making little impression.

Justice Carolyn Simpson believed the evidence of the young women, Batten and Steele. After a long wait after the judge had reserved her decision Steele and Batten have been vindicated.