Bondi arrest: Paul Sargon Kelaita pleads not guilty to alleged rape, kidnapping and intimidation of a woman at Killarney Vale and The Entrance
A man who sparked a manhunt across Bondi before being arrested on a rooftop will face trial after denying allegations he raped a woman and held her against her will for three hours.
Central Coast
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A man from southwest Sydney will face a trial next year after pleading not guilty to allegedly raping a woman on the Central Coast before kidnapping her during a three-hour ordeal.
Paul Sargon Kelaita, 46, of Harrington Park, faced Gosford District Court on Thursday where he was arraigned on 15 charges.
Mr Kelaita pleaded “not guilty” as each charge was read aloud before he was given a trial date of September 29 next year.
The court heard the trial, involving one female complainant, was expected to take between seven and 10 days.
Mr Kelaita was charged with six counts of allegedly having sexual intercourse with a woman against her will at Killarney Vale on November 12 last year and then detaining her for three hours afterwards.
He was also charged with two counts of sexual touching after allegedly kissing her thighs and placing his flaccid penis against her vagina.
Mr Kelaita was charged with allegedly inciting the woman to sexually touch him by placing her hand on his penis and forcing her into her 4WD with intent to inflict actual bodily harm.
An indictment tendered in court alleges Mr Kelaita then intimidated the woman at The Entrance on six different occasions between November 14 and 20, 2023.
The Crown will allege in court that two days later police approached Mr Kelaita on Roscoe St in Bondi in relation to the alleged sex offences before he allegedly fled on foot.
Officers gave chase, sparking a large-scale manhunt involving a police helicopter, before Mr Kelaita was arrested without further incident on a rooftop in Curlewis St.
Mr Kelaita, who has been in custody ever since his arrest, did not apply for bail and it was formally refused.
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