Cairns court: Rape trial hears former Ports North executive Alan Vico ‘was not particularly helpful’

A former Ports North boss on trial for rape asked police if the woman who made the accusation was ‘bruised and battered’, Cairns District Court has heard.

A FORMER Ports North boss accused of rape asked police if the woman was “bruised and battered”, Cairns District Court has heard.

Alan George Vico, 56, has pleaded not guilty to rape.

Crown prosecutor Claudia Georgouras has told the court the 20-year-old Norwegian exchange student, holidaying in Cairns with friends, was heavily intoxicated and lacked the cognitive capacity to consent to sex.

Ms Georgouras said on September 20, 2018, Mr Vico picked the woman up off Sheridan St about 11pm, booked a room at an Earlville motel, took her there, raped her and left at 4am, with the woman waking distressed and naked at 7am with no idea where she was or how she got there, and a condom wrapper and $20 note on the bedside table.

Former Ports North executive Alan George Vico is on trial accused of raping a Norwegian exchange student in an Earlville motel in 2018.

CCTV footage shown to the jury showed Mr Vico and the woman entering the motel and Mr Vico – dressed differently, in a singlet and boxer shorts – leaving four hours later.

Former plain clothes senior constable Daniel McEntee gave evidence and audio of the interview with Mr Vico was played to the court.

When questioned by police at his Clifton Beach home at 6pm the following day, Mr Vico declined to reveal if sexual activity had occurred.

Asked if he had sex with the woman, Mr Vico replied “I don’t want to answer any questions about physical contact”.

“I didn’t sexually assault anyone last night,” Mr Vico said.

Snr Const McEntee asked him if he understood the meaning of sexual assault and Mr Vico replied it was any sexual contact with a person not agreeable to it.

“Is she okay? Not harmed or bruised or battered? I mean, the ultimate sexual assault is rape,” he said.

Cairns District Court has heard that Alan Vico, who has pleaded not guilty to rape, took a heavily intoxicated 20-year-old Norwegian student to the Southside International Motel at Earlville on September 20, 2018.

Snr Const McEntee told Mr Vico he “was not being particularly helpful” and “you’re being hesitant to divulge everything to me”.

Police had a warrant to seize items including Mr Vico’s clothing but he insisted he did not know what clothing he wore the previous night or where it was.

“I’m extremely busy, I’m extremely stressed,” he said.

He gave vague answers when asked what state the woman was in and whether she appeared intoxicated to him and how he and the woman got from the car to the motel room.

“Where were her friends that night, I wonder, how did she get to be in that situation, was any of her property stolen?” Mr Vico asked police.

“I’m wondering if something else happened and I’m being blamed for it.”

Snr Const McEntee gave evidence police found three condoms in a wheelie bin at Mr Vico’s home.

Cairns District Court has heard that a Norwegian student last recalled being at The Woolshed (pitcutred) before waking naked in a motel room the following day.

Ms Georgouras has previously told the court DNA evidence would show that his DNA was on one condom, the woman’s DNA was on another condom, and there was no DNA on the third.

Cross-examining Snr Const McEntee, defence barrister Harvey Walters suggested police entered the house without knocking and Mr Vico had nothing but a towel on.

“You humiliated him,” Mr Walters said.

“Do you normally interview people like that?”

He asked if the woman’s phone was examined and Snr Const McEntee said there was no reason to do so.

“The reason might be that she had the capacity to text and take photos,” Mr Walters said.

“Why didn’t you just say to Mr Vico you were investigating a rape? You didn’t, because you didn’t know what you were investigating, this bland term, sexual assault,” he said.

“I had no doubt what we were investigating,” Snr Const McEntee replied.

The trial before Judge Michael Rackemann is continuing.

Originally published as Cairns court: Rape trial hears former Ports North executive Alan Vico ‘was not particularly helpful’