Overview
- The trial began on Wednesday and the accused, a well‑connected Melbourne businessman whose name is legally suppressed, pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual assault and two counts of rape.
- Prosecutors say the complainant, hired as the man’s personal assistant in 2022, was assaulted at his home after a night of drinking and alleged cocaine use and that she texted her mother before police attended in the early hours of March 24, 2023.
- The prosecution alleges the man penetrated the woman with his fingers and penis against her consent, that she punched him during the incident, and that he minimised the conduct when confronted.
- Defence counsel Dermot Dann KC denies the allegations, disputes claims about drug use and the alleged punch, and told jurors there is a “massive issue” with the complainant’s credibility that the defence will seek to expose.
- Judge Frank Gucciardo is presiding, the complainant is due to give evidence in closed court, and the trial is expected to run roughly eight days to about two weeks with the jury to weigh contemporaneous texts, police attendance and witness reliability.