NOT GUILTY - The Craig McLachlan Case

Watch the Unfiltered companion interview in which Craig McLachlan sits down with journalist Michael Cain to go beyond the headlines and unpack the story behind Not Guilty: The Craig McLachlan Case Podcast.https://youtu.be/Ap-wyeksXJo?si=pqPYByBJb7ZN91VXNOT GUILTY – The Craig McLachlan Case is a factual true-crime podcast hosted by Vanessa Scammell, examining the criminal case heard in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court and the events that unfolded around it. Through interviews, a detailed discussion of public court records, and a close examination of evidence, the series explores aspects of the story that were obscured, neglected or misunderstood in much of the original press coverage. With a calm and considered approach, the podcast invites listeners to engage openly with the full complexity of the case, and to reflect on the consequences of “page one guilt” — when public judgement is formed before a matter is tested in court, and when allegations reach the media before the police. Eight years on, the case continues to exact a heavy personal cost, raising difficult questions about justice, truth, rehabilitation and the enduring impact of accusation beyond a verdict of Not Guilty.

In this episode, listeners are taken backstage of the 2014 Rocky Horror Show, examining the culture behind the curtain and the community standards and accepted practices of the time. The episode also explores what criminal charges mean in legal terms, including the threshold police must meet, and the methods and evidence required before charges can be laid. Vanessa invites listeners to consider whether those who go to the press before approaching police should be granted anonymity and court protections, and, as the title suggests, examines the courtroom processes that reduce a person to the court-imposed label of The Accused Man.Watch the Unfiltered companion interview in which Craig McLachlan sits down with journalist Michael Cain to go beyond the headlines and unpack the story behind Not Guilty: The Craig McLachlan Case Podcast.https://youtu.be/jtRd5c_7Ero?si=NGrTNywyFT8PpJ0V

In this compelling episode of Not Guilty - The Craig McLachlan case Vanessa examines the details of the criminal charges laid against Craig McLachlan for the first time. The discussion focuses on the evidence provided by the first understudy, including a charge referenced in court as the “ankle tickle,” and considers how such a charge could have been laid in the first place. The episode also closely examines key Magistrates’ rulings and asks how certain decisions could have been presented and sustained within the courtroom process. Watch the accompanying Unfiltered episode in which Craig McLachlan is interviewed by Michael Cain: https://youtu.be/GHjLmXbrNlY?si=_TuzrSN6RjM-UtFW

In this episode, Vanessa asks a confronting question: just how much can due process and anacquittal — being found not guilty — be affected by the pressures and trends of social andcultural movements in our society? How far have these movements, and the trending hashtagsassociated with them, infiltrated the bastions of the law?This episode focuses on the complainant known as C2 and the charges laid against Craig McLachlan in relation to her evidence. Vanessa takes listeners through allegations involving a“hug” and an “onstage kiss,” and examines courtroom commentary from the Magistrate thatraises serious and troubling questions about how such matters are assessed.Watch the accompanying Unfiltered interview with Craig McLachlan and Michael Cain: https://youtu.be/kLH12d7p8gE?si=D2EIic7wEP5UVmW8

In Episode 5, Vanessa examines the final charge laid against Craig McLachlan, relating to hisRocky Horror Showcolleague known as C2. This episode considers how questions ofreliability and credibility can arise in relation to a key witness, and how such issues areaddressed within the legal process. It explores whether inconsistencies or disputed accountscarry consequences, and reflects on the manner in which evidence was assessed in this case.The episode also examines why certain aspects of the complainant’s evidence receivedlimited scrutiny in public reporting, despite their relevance to the Magistrate’s ultimatefinding. Episode 5 offers a careful and detailed examination of allegations and charges that,upon closer inspection, may not be as straightforward as they first appeared.Watch the accompanying Unfiltered episode in which Craig McLachlan is interviewed by Michael Cain: https://youtu.be/J5_6X-dLDH4?si=ukeIfIviMSVa9sNA

This episode turns to allegations first aired publicly in the press against Craig McLachlan — allegations that would later become criminal charges, and headlines that shaped a public narrative long before the courtroom was heard.In this instalment, Vanessa examines the final complainant in the matter, known as C1, and brings a central allegation and its surrounding story to a decisive end.Through a forensic and uncompromising analysis, the events surrounding the Rocky Horror bed scene are laid out in full. Evidence, timelines and testimony are examined piece by piece, revealing a version of events that is confronting, unexpected, and at times deeply shocking.But the episode goes further, asking questions that are rarely voiced aloud.When a complainant is not a stranger but a friend — when contact, messages and communication continued right up until the moment allegations were made — does that carry evidentiary weight? If no indication was ever given that anything was wrong, what does continued friendship mean, and how should a court interpret it?Vanessa also revisits commentary from the presiding Magistrate, questioning whether public remarks truly reflected what unfolded inside the courtroom, and whether the tone of those remarks shaped how the case was ultimately understood.Episode 7 is confronting listening. It challenges assumptions, revisits evidence, and asks whether the story told to the public was the same story tested under oath.Watch the accompanying Unfiltered episode in which Craig McLachlan is interviewed by Michael Cain: https://youtu.be/_Na2HPg9dHU?si=mvjKSG5qe62bPRMG