Okubamichael Gebremedhin: Cleaner’s rape charges chucked out

An Eritrean refugee has had multiple rape charges against him relating to an Illawarra sex worker withdrawn and dismissed.

An Illawarra cleaner who was accused of the shocking rape of a sex worker earlier this year has had the charges thrown out.

Okubamichael Gebremariam Gebremedhin was arrested in August and charged with four counts of sexual intercourse without consent and one count of carrying out a sexual act with another without consent.

Gebremedhin, an Australian citizen and father of two, arrived in the country nine years ago after fleeing the African hermit state of Eritrea.

The court previously heard the 44-year-old had stable employment as a factory cleaner in Port Kembla, which had enabled him to sponsor a full working visa for his nephew, who has an apprenticeship in western Sydney.

Gebremedhin, who is medicated for depression, has managed to save up $60,000, which, Ms Lambert said, he intended to use to bring his two children to Australia.

The matter was withdrawn and dismissed on Wednesday.

The previously accused man had been on bail since his arrest after handing over his taxi driver‘s licence and surrounding a $5000 surety.

Gebremedhin had been accused of raping a female sex worker in May before dropping her off at Figtree Grove, where court documents said she purchased a knife which she later used to stab herself in the stomach.

The woman, who suffers from multiple mental health illnesses, contacted her carer, who was able to call for an ambulance, who rushed her directly to St George Hospital.

However, all five charges were withdrawn and dismissed in Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday.

NewsLocal contacted NSW Police with a spokesperson commenting they were “unable to progress the case at this stage”.