Alexander Louis Christopher Matters pleads not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent
A former Canberra political staffer has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting a young woman with claims of ‘revenge sex’ being heard in court.
Canberra Star
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Bombshell texts between an alleged sexual assault victim and her mates about a former political staffer charged with her attack have been revealed during his trial.
Alexander Louis Christopher Matters has pleaded not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent and an act of indecency without consent in the ACT Supreme Court.
The charges stem from an alleged incident on May 5 2021 when Mr Matters allegedly had sex with the victim in her university dorm without her consent.
It was further alleged in court Mr Matters ejaculated on the victim’s body without her consent.
During the second day of his trial on Tuesday, the alleged victim was cross examined by barrister Steven Whybrow SC where he combed through messages between the complainant and her mates before and after the alleged assault.
The court heard the alleged victim, who was an advocate for issues around sexual assault, met the defendant in 2020.
Mr Whybrow put to the complainant the alleged victim was looking for “revenge sex” after a man she knew left the university for several months.
Multiple texts between the alleged victim and her mates stated she wanted to have sex with Mr Matters because she was upset at the time.
Mr Whybrow suggested she messaged Mr Matters and went for a walk with him three days before she made her complaint to police on September 18, 2021.
He said the pair were having consensual sex and stated she asked if they could “hook up” with “no strings attached”.
The barrister said the complainant organised to meet with Mr Matters the next day on September 16, 2021 and later texted a friend she was “going to f--- Alex tomorrow”.
Mr Whybrow said in her texts the alleged victim called Mr Matters “a good f---” which she said she could not recall.
He said the alleged victim “freaked out” when she was told Mr Matters was charged with an unrelated sexual assault - a charge that was later dropped - and she was sleeping with someone who was “alleged to be a rapist”.
“Not true,” she replied.
“You complained to the police to protect your reputation, not because you had non-consensual sex,” Mr Whybrow said.
In cross examination, Mr Whybrow said the complainant consented to sex without a condom and to Mr Matters ejaculating on her on May 5, 2021.
The alleged victim said she consented initially but this was “revoked” and “begrudgingly” consented to the alleged indecent act.
She told the court she remembered being “too stunned” to speak about what happened with Mr Matters after it happened.
More texts were read out in court on Tuesday following the alleged sexual assault where the alleged victim messaged her mates.
Mr Whybrow said the complainant also texted Mr Matters the following day and asked for reassurance.
He told the court the alleged victim was being caught out in “contradictions” in her evidence but she said she was telling the truth.
The barrister went onto say she did not disclose the alleged sexual assault and her concern was about another boy.
A friend of the alleged victim was called as a witness on Tuesday who told the complainant of the news reports in 2021 where she saw of Mr Matters being arrested on an unrelated sexual assault.
She recounted the alleged victim’s account to crown prosecutor Soraya Saikal-Skea where the complainant allegedly told Mr Matters to stop during the incident and said she would speak to police.
Mr Whybrow then questioned the witness about the casual sexual relationship the alleged victim and Mr Matters had.
The trial continues on Wednesday.
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