Rockhampton lawyer Jack Anthony Blackburn accused of rape

A Queensland criminal lawyer has been charged with raping, choking and assaulting a woman on various occasions.

Lawyer Jack Anthony Blackburn has been charged with four counts of rape.

A Rockhampton criminal lawyer accused of raping a woman four times has changed legal representatives as his rape charges move through the court system.

Jack Anthony Blackburn, 36, was charged in February 2023 with four counts of rape.

According to court documents, the alleged offences took place between March 2019 and December 2021 in Central Queensland and Far North Queensland.

Defence lawyer Samantha Legrady told Rockhampton Magistrates Court on June 7, 2023, during a successful bail application that Mr Blackburn contested all of the allegations, including accusations he raped the woman while she slept.

“I am instructed by Mr Blackburn that the complainant didn’t take any sleeping tablets,” she said.

“And that she was in a previously terrible domestic violent relationship where she suffered severe anxiety and I’m instructed that if Mr Blackburn did get out of bed or did move, she would wake up.”

Ms Legrady said Mr Blackburn claims he weighs 100kg and challenged the allegations, saying if he had raped her, and finished as she alleged, “surely she would wake up”.

Police prosecutor Courtney Brown said one of the rape allegations involved consensual sex with consent withdrawn.

On June 19, 2023, a Legal Aid lawyer told Rockhampton District Court the rape charges concerned the same complainant in the choking and assault charges.

The case was mentioned in Rockhampton Magistrates Court this week where one Brisbane law firm – Dib and Associates – handed it over to another – Hannay Lawyers.

His new lawyers told the District Court on May 13 that they were waiting for the file to be sent to them from the former firm and waiting for the rape charges to transfer from the magistrates to district courts.

The Crown told the court it was likely the rape charges “will be joined and presented on a single indictment” involving the choking and the sexual allegations.

During a bail application in April 2022, Mr Blackburn was accused of choking the alleged female victim twice on March 20 and threatening to put a large wooden pencil through her windpipe.

Mr Blackburn allegedly wrapped his hands around the woman’s neck, making it hard for her to swallow and breathe and causing her vision to blur, and is further accused of wrapping an arm around her neck from behind and applying pressure, making it difficult for her to breathe.

Mr Blackburn is also alleged to have dug his knuckle into the woman’s lower spine, which caused her to drop to the ground.

It was also alleged Mr Blackburn made threats of suicide by police and harming other when he was at a park in the Rockhampton region with the woman on April 2.

Mr Blackburn’s District Court matters were adjourned to May 23.

The rape charges in the magistrates court were adjourned to June 12.

Mr Blackburn’s bail was enlarged.