Yusuke Shiota: Japanese international accused of raping woman in Killara

The lawyer for an international student accused of raping a woman on Sydney’s upper north shore told a court his client bought her a toothbrush before spending the night together and dropping her home the morning after.

Yusuke Shiota. Picture: Instagram

An international student accused of raping a woman on Sydney’s upper north shore has been granted bail after three people put up $30,000 for his release.

Yusuke Shiota appeared before Magistrate Jennifer Price at Downing Centre Local Court on Monday after he was slapped with four counts of sexual intercourse without consent. No pleas have been entered.

Police allege in court documents the 26-year-old did have sexual intercourse with a woman without her consent at Killara this year.

He was arrested three days later at 6.30am and had previously been denied bail in Hornsby Court the following day.

Shiota’s lawyer Najee Makhoul told the court he was presenting “a significant regime of bail”, including $30,000 surety split between three of his client’s friends, restriction on travel and a man electing to monitor him in the community.

He said “had that material been available” in the previous bail application, there may have been a different outcome.

The police prosecutor opposed Shiota’s bail, saying there were unacceptable risks of him failing to appear, and committing further offences given the “serious charges” laid against him and if convicted, a jail sentence “would be likely”.

Downing Centre Local Court. Picture: Nikki Short

He said it was a strong prosecution case, including the alleged victim’s evidence, forthcoming forensic evidence and CCTV video.

“I mention the CCTV … facts outline … initial advances by the defendant (which) were not well received by the complainant,” the prosecutor said.

“The defendant’s on a student visa … (there is) serious risk of failing to appear before the court.”

Mr Makhoul said sex was not a “dispute in this case”, rather it was about consent.

The court heard Shiota “not only denies” the allegations, but said the complainant welcomed “what occurred”.

“It’s a one-on-one case effectively … they’ll be the only one that can tell a jury,” Mr Makhoul said.

“CCTV … (shows) … there was kissing … significant engagement … (the) complainant kissing my client.”

Mr Makhoul said the pair had stopped at the 7-Eleven where his client “buys her a toothbrush to spend the night”.

He said after what was alleged, the complainant then “sleeps a night in his bed … then is taken home by him the next morning”.

“With the greatest respect … (there are) issues with credibility,” Mr Makhoul said.

He told the court there was communication on Instagram after the alleged incident, where Shiota then blocked her saying “he has no desire” to communicate with her.

Mr Makhoul said the proposed conditions were “significant” and included a man, close to Shiota, who agreed to “effectively monitor him” and report to police if he failed to abide by his bail.

The court heard Shiota was previously employed at American Express and then moved on to a “reputable IT company” and was willing to surrender his passport.

Ms Price ultimately granted bail to Shiota, saying while he did have strong ties overseas, he had been in Australia for the past seven years and also had strong community ties in Sydney.

She accepted there were “very strict set of conditions”, including daily reporting, curfew, the $30,000 surety and drug and alcohol abstention which reduced Shiota’s risk.