Accused’s girlfriend testifies in rape trial of high-profile man
The girlfriend of a high-profile man accused of raping a woman in a Melbourne house has detailed what she remembers of one of the “key issues” in the case.
The girlfriend of a high-profile man accused of rape has denied misleading a jury or lying under oath to protect him.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is standing trial in the County Court, accused of raping a woman twice inside a Melbourne home in January last year.
He has pleaded not guilty to two counts of rape, claiming that the complainant “got it wrong”.
The two-week trial entered its fourth day on Thursday, with the jury hearing from three witnesses, including the accused’s girlfriend and a friend of the complainant.
Crown prosecutor Jeremy McWilliams previously told the court the complainant attended the accused’s home late on a summer night after she was invited over by the accused’s girlfriend.
A boozy gathering had been hosted at the home that day, but only the accused, his girlfriend and his mate, Mr B*, remained when the complainant arrived at 12.23am.
Mr McWilliams said the complainant, who was in a “casual sexual relationship” with Mr B, had consensual sex with him in an upstairs bedroom.
At 1.58am, Mr B left in an Uber, arriving at his home at 2.09am.
After his departure, it is alleged that the accused slid into bed with the complainant and pretended to be Mr B as he digitally penetrated her twice.
Mr McWilliams alleged that the rapes were committed “through deception” before the accused “attempted to avoid accountability, with even more deception”, including by doctoring the Uber receipt.
But his defence barrister David Hallowes SC stated that one of the “key issues” would be whether or not Mr B returned to the bedroom before catching the Uber.
He also argued that his client may have panicked when he was wrongly accused of rape, leading him to fabricate the Uber receipt.
Mr B testified that after having consensual sex with the complainant, he left the bedroom to move his car before catching the Uber.
He repeatedly told the jury he only recalled leaving the bedroom once and did not recall returning.
But the accused’s girlfriend said she had a “clear memory” of Mr B entering the accused’s room to ask if he had a condom.
And so she said she disagreed with Mr B’s evidence that he only left the bedroom once.
She also testified that when she spoke to Mr B on the phone the following day and asked if he had returned to the bedroom, he confirmed that he did.
Mr McWilliams told the witness that Mr B had denied saying that he had returned to the bedroom, but she replied: “He did say he went back inside.”
At the end of her evidence, the woman confirmed, when asked by Mr McWilliams, that the accused was still her boyfriend.
“What I want to suggest to you … is that you’ve exaggerated some matters?” Mr McWilliams asked.
“No,” she said.
“That you’ve tailored your evidence to support the account that (your boyfriend) has provided?” he asked.
“No,” she replied.
“And that you’re a partisan witness who’s giving evidence to support a version of events you’ve been told by your boyfriend?” he asked.
“No,” she replied.
Under further questioning from Mr Hallowes, the woman confirmed that she knew her boyfriend had fabricated the Uber receipt.
“Did you come to court to try, in any way, mislead this jury?” he asked.
“No, not at all,” she said.
“Was it your intention to come to court to lie on oath to protect (your boyfriend)?” he asked.
“No, not at all,” she replied.
“Is the evidence you’ve given to this jury the truth?” he asked.
“Yes,” she replied.
A friend of the complainant also testified on Thursday that the complainant was in tears as she told her she had been raped by the accused.
“I think she couldn’t comprehend what had happened,” she said.
She added: “(Mr B) had booked an Uber home and she was left alone in the room. She thought she was safe.”
The trial, before Judge Gregory Lyon, continues.
*Not his real name
Originally published as Accused’s girlfriend testifies in rape trial of high-profile man
