Jury finds Gene Bristow guilty of kidnapping and raping European backpacker at his farm shed in Meningie

A jury has found Gene Charles Bristow guilty of kidnapping and raping a European backpacker in an old pig shed at Meningie.

Gene Bristow, in blue short sleeved shirt, with sheriff’s officers on his property in Meningie. He has been found guilty of kidnapping and raping a backpacker at the property in 2017. Picture: Brenton Edwards

• ‘I thought he would shoot me’: Backpacker in fear for life
• Bristow takes the stand to defend against rape, kidnap charges
• Claims woman was hired as farmhand — son says none were needed
• Bristow searched eBay for shackles on the day victim contacted him

A Hobby farmer is facing life behind bars last after being found guilty of abducting and luring a European backpacker to his remote South-East property where he shackled and raped her.

After less than three hours deliberation, a District Court jury on Monday unanimously convicted Gene Charles Bristow, 54, of horrific crimes against the woman, 26, over a two-day ordeal at Meningie in February 2017.

The jury unanimously convicted him of six charges including of aggravated kidnapping, rape and indecent assault, meaning he faces life imprisonment.

The predator found her on the internet site Gumtree before he drove her in his red ute to his old pig shed, 149km southeast of Adelaide, where he shackled her to a couch and sexually abused her at gunpoint.

Police investigate the Meningie farm where the backpacker was held and raped. Picture: Brenton Edwards

After visiting Kangaroo Island and staying at a city youth hostel the victim posted an advertisement asking for work, which Bristow then answered.

The traveller, who cannot be named for legal reasons, later escaped after raising the alarm with her Europe-based family by accessing her computer. She was found in Murray Bridge, hours after police had announced a public appeal.

Authorities launched a widespread search after she raised the alarm, and investigation involved detectives from Major Crime and the Special Crimes Branch, as well as STAR group and local police.

Senior detectives said she had endured “an experience”.

Bristow, then a married, unemployed father and well-known local, searched another website, eBay, for items including shackles on the same day the victim accepted his offer of farm work on his 40ha property.

On Monday the jury retired to consider the verdict at 1.13pm and then told Judge Geraldine Davison shortly after 4pm they had a decision.

Bristow, who had denied the charges and claimed the backpacker had fabricated her ordeal, showed no emotion as he learned his fate.

He later nodded to his new lawyer, who was instructed part-way through the trial after he suddenly sacked his first legal team.

The Advertiser understands his wife, who also cannot be named, recently separated from her husband despite him telling the jury they remained married.

Police search the area in Meningie. Picture: Tom Huntley

The backpacker, who is staying at a secret location in South Australia, did not attend court. Authorities are checking if she will read a victim impact statement on Friday.

She is then due to fly home next week after she gave evidence about her ordeal. At the time, she was on a 12-month Australian trip, travelling from Sydney, through Victoria, to Adelaide, documenting it all on social media.

No further details about her background can be reported as she is a victim of sex crimes.

The woman wept as she told the jury of being bound and left naked.

In contradictory evidence rejected by the jury, Bristow claimed he “may have been able to persuade” his wife to allow a farmhand to stay in a spare room.

He had earlier said he did not tell his family about her because they were “private” people who did not “let strangers into our lives very easily”.

The jury dismissed claims she was there “of her own free will”.

Bristow, who pretended to be a farm employee, repeatedly returned to abuse her.

His lawyer, Chris Weir, is seeking appeal instructions.