Joshua James David Slape found guilty of raping two women in swags at South East equestrian events
A judge has handed down his verdict for a man who denied climbing into women’s swags, telling them not to leave him “sexually frustrated” and raping them.
Mount Gambier
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A Glenburnie man who climbed into the swags of women at equestrian events before raping them has been found guilty of all charges.
Joshua James David Slape, 23, will receive his punishment next month for his horrific acts that left one of his victims feeling “trapped and powerless”.
In the Adelaide District Court on Friday, Judge Gordon Barrett said he found Slape guilty of three counts of rape, two counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted rape.
Slape, who is in custody, stood trial in October after pleading not guilty to all six counts.
During Slape’s trial, prosecutor Emily Harper told the court Slape was accused of raping two women following celebrations at separate equestrian events in the South East.
The court previously heard neither women had a previous relationship with Slape when he “climbed into their swags” and on both occasions told them “not to leave him sexually frustrated”.
Ms Harper alleged Slape, who was 19 at the time, attacked his first victim at an annual event hosted at the Slape family farm in June 2017.
After putting her children to sleep, the woman was woken by Mr Slape walking on her swag before she was forced to perform sexual acts and then raped.
Ms Harper told the court the victim felt “trapped and powerless” and “couldn’t breath once he was on top of her”.
Prosecution alleges Slape also knew his second victim through the equestrian community before attacking her at the Kongorong Rodeo on January 7, 2018.
Ms Harper said Slape climbed into the woman’s swag, pulled down her shorts and underwear and then raped her.
“(The victim) recalls that when she was lying in her swag, the accused was all of a sudden there on her swag,” Ms Harper said
Slape’s DNA was found in the underwear and swags of both women.
Judge Barrett will sentence Slape next month.
*His conviction has been successfully appealed with his term of imprisonment quashed. See the details here.
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