Gerald Ridsdale appears in Warrnambool court charged with nine counts of rape and four indecent assaults

Gerald Francis Ridsdale, 88, now of Ararat, appeared in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court on Friday for a committal mention via a video link.

He looked gaunt, and was wearing a green windcheater with a face mask around his chin.

Mr Ridsdale pleaded guilty to 13 charges, while the Office of Public Prosecutions withdrew another 11 counts.

The remaining charge involve nine counts of rape and four of indecent assault, committed at Mortlake between May 1, 1981, and November 30, 1982.

Asked by magistrate Nunzio La Rosa to enter a plea to the remaining charges, Mr Ridsdale said: "I plead guilty your honour".

His only other comment was to thank the magistrate at the end of the hearing.

Mr Ridsdale had his case adjourned for further hearing in the Warrnambool County Court on September 26.

Mr La Rosa said he had only received a copy of the hand up brief of evidence on Friday morning and had quickly read the summary.

He said he understood the prosecution and defence had been involved in discussion prior to Friday's hearing and the matter was to proceed by way of a hand up brief and to a plea in the county court at a later date.

The magistrate said that clearly there were a number of complexities in the case which required careful attention in preparation of a plea.

"No one is going to rush this on," he said, committing to allow the prosecution and defence to calmly approach the future court hearing.

Mr La Rosa also granted various media outlets access to Mr Ridsdale's charges, but denied applications for copies of the summary of the evidence.

He said the brief contained sufficient material for the matter to go to trial and noted there was no application for bail.

Mr Ridsdale's lawyer Will Collins-Putland said there were issues with consistency of counsel for his client.

OPP lawyer Marcel White said great care was required in sentencing of such matters like those which Mr Ridsdale had been charged.

"It's a complex sentencing exercise," he said, adding there was no agreed summary of evidence at this time and a circumspect approach would be to release just the charges to the media.

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