The chief magistrate of NSW has questioned whether a country police chief's domestic violence hearing was moved to Sydney so he would not have to face court in his home town.
Rodney Don Blackman, 44, has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of assault with court papers showing the alleged domestic violence spanned from 2007 to 2012.
A Sydney court has heard Blackman's case was first heard in Dubbo but shifted to Sydney because most witnesses live nearer to the capital and of concerns Dubbo Local Court couldn't accommodate the anticipated 10-day hearing.
But Chief Magistrate Graeme Henson said the move was "hardly in sync with the principle of public transparency".
He questioned whether the case had been shifted due to "the fact that the accused is an inspector of police in Dubbo and didn't want it to be heard there", or a belief "that he's somehow worthy of special treatment".
"Please don't tell me that," Mr Henson said on Tuesday.
One of Mr Henson's duties as the principal judicial officer in the state's local court system is to oversee the scheduling of court sittings.
An irate-sounding Mr Henson said if the decision had hinged on doubts that Dubbo Local Court could handle such a lengthy hearing, he could have intervened.
Mr Henson shook his head as he fixed Blackman's hearing for next month, telling lawyers from both sides that it must proceed on the next occasion.
Blackman has been suspended with pay.
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