King Calls Herself Queen Of Tv Bans

The Age

Tuesday April 22, 2008

Peter Gregory, Chief Court Reporter

AFTER describing herself as "the queen of banning things", Justice Betty King yesterday cut short an attempt by Today Tonight to screen an interview featuring "Crime Mums" Judy Moran and Barbara Williams.

The jury members were waiting to hear evidence in the Supreme Court murder trial of Evangelos Goussis, 40, when Justice King gave them a warning.

She said she had to consider whether a program could go to air, but did not know at that stage whether it would be banned.

"Being the queen of banning things, it's obviously my role, but I need to view it, and I need to consider it," she said. Justice King seemed to be referring to the beginning of the trial, when she placed a statewide ban on televising the Channel Nine drama series Underbelly.

Yesterday, she stopped Seven screening the interview, titled "Crime Mums", planned for broadcast at 6.30pm. The suppression order stops Seven Melbourne showing the interview and distributing it until Justice King considers the issue further today. She told jurors she did not know what was in the interview, "but I don't imagine it's going to be terribly edifying or pleasant . . . But the one thing it is not is relevant to anything you have to decide."

She told them not to watch the program if it went to air. "I do wonder about the timing a little, but then it's a matter I'll deal with," she said.

Goussis has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Lewis Moran and the attempted murder of Bert Wrout at the Brunswick Club on March 31, 2004.

A career criminal and self-nominated getaway driver has said Goussis admitted shooting Moran. He said underworld figures Carl Williams and Tony Mokbel offered $150,000 for Moran to be murdered.

Giving evidence yesterday, he said he was ashamed of breaking an underworld code by signing a statement against Goussis but he had been concerned about his wife and a family member.

Judith Moran is the widow of Lewis Moran. Barbara Williams is the mother of Carl Williams.

The trial continues.

© 2008 The Age

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