Stepfather says assault counts 'trumped up'

By JAMES GARDINER

Coral-Ellen Burrows' stepfather, Steven Roger Williams, has accused police of trumping up assault charges against him to keep him locked up.

Williams, 29, arrested on Thursday, appeared in the Masterton District Court yesterday, charged with assaulting Coral's uncle, Terry John Cremen, in Featherston on September 2.

Barefoot and dressed in a blue police-issue boiler suit, Williams glared around the court, slowly turning full circle to look at spectators in the public gallery. He appeared angry and confused as he faced Justice of the Peace Ken Wilton.

Police said the charges were unrelated to Coral's disappearance on Tuesday after Williams dropped her at school, but they arose from information gleaned during the inquiry.

Williams, an unemployed former farmhand, also faces a second, more serious, count that he assaulted Mr Cremen on the same date using a white Lada motor vehicle as a weapon. His lawyer, Jock Blathwayt, said if the charges had any foundation they would have been laid at the time. He believed the assault with a weapon charge had been laid solely to prevent Williams getting bail.

Mr Wilton agreed that under the Bail Act the court did not have jurisdiction to release Williams but then said he was remanded on bail.

When Williams left the dock and tried to walk out of the court, a police officer blocked his path and court staff explained that the remand, until Monday, was in custody.

Outside court Mr Blathwayt was critical of the way his client's arrest had been publicised and handled by police.

"He believes the charge has been laid only to keep him in custody.

"He's obviously under great stress. All he wishes to say is that he's done no wrong.

"He doesn't seek [name] suppression because he's got nothing to hide."

Police are examining the white Lada stationwagon and a brown Lada car which they have taken from the Woodward St home Williams shared with Coral, her 8-year-old brother Storm and the children's mother, Jeanna Cremen.

It was the white Lada he used to take Coral and Storm to school.

A vehicle of a similar description was seen near the Double Bridges on State Highway 2 west of Featherston. The bridges cross Abbotts Creek, in which Coral's schoolbag was found floating on Wednesday afternoon.

Police have appealed for any other sightings of such a vehicle either on Tuesday or Wednesday.