Accused kidnapper and rapist Gene Charles Bristow sacks legal team midway through trial, District Court jury told

A hobby farmer charged with kidnapping a European backpacker and repeatedly sexually assaulting her on his Meningie property has sacked his legal team in a “relatively unusual event”, a District Court jury has been told.

Gene Bristow leaves the Adelaide Magistrates Court during an earlier hearing. Picture: Nine News

• Farmer chained backpacker to pig shed, raped her, court told
• Bristow denies kidnapping, assault charges

A hobby farmer charged with kidnapping a European backpacker and repeatedly sexually assaulting her in an old, dirty pig shed on his Meningie property has sacked his legal team in a “relatively unusual event”, a District Court jury has been told.

Judge Geraldine Davison on Tuesday told the jury Gene Charles Bristow, 54, had “terminated” his instructions to Nicholas Healy on Friday.

She said he would now be represented by Chris Weir and Sarah Graham.

“On Friday afternoon you will recall that I explained to you that we were no longer able to sit in this trial,” she said.

“As you can appreciate, Mr Weir and Ms Graham need time to consult with the accused,” she said.

The jury has previously heard Bristow is accused of luring the backpacker to his property after she posted an ad on Gumtree in February 2017.

Gene Bristow (middle) with sheriffs’ officers on his property in Meningie. Picture: Brenton Edwards/AAP

Prosecutors allege that Bristow shackled the woman using cable ties and chains to a couch in the disused pig shed, out of view from the main house on the property where he lived with his family, and threatened to shoot her if she tried to flee.

The jury has heard the woman escaped her shackles and used her laptop to alert family, friends and police before tying herself back up. Authorities descended on the town in search of the woman the following day.

Bristow has denied the charges.

Judge Davison said Bristow’s new legal team would need time to read the evidence brief, transcript of evidence and look at the exhibits and scheduled the trial to resume on Monday.

Mr Healy had told the jury the allegations were “an invention” which “simply did not take place”

“This is a relatively unusual event, but it does occur from time to time,” she said.

Judge Davison instructed the jury to not draw any adverse inference from the change of lawyers.

She also told the jury one of their fellow jurors had fallen ill but may be able to return when the trial resumes next week.

“If he is not able to return then I will deal with that issue if and when it arises,” she said.

She said the trial would resume again on Monday to give the juror time to recover and time to allow Mr Weir to be fully prepared.