Christopher David Barnes: Second boy gives evidence in trial of man charged with sexual assault at Guildford West gym

A boy broke down when describing to police how his martial arts instructor allegedly sexually assaulted him in a western Sydney gym, a court has heard. Warning: Graphic content.

A boy has given evidence in court about martial arts instructor Christopher Barnes allegedly going into a bathroom at Fearless Martial Arts gym in Guildford West with him and sexually assaulting him.

Mr Barnes has pleaded not guilty to aggravated sexual intercourse with a child between 10 and 14 years, aggravated intentionally doing a sexual act with a child between 10 and 16 years, intentionally sexually touch child under 10 years and two counts of intentionally sexually touch a child between 10 and 16 years.

He is fighting allegations he carried out sexual offences on two boys he taught at the Fairfield Rd warehouse-style gym between early 2019 and late 2020.

As the trial continued at Parramatta District Court on Tuesday, the second boy gave evidence after a police interview was played before the jury.

During an interview in early 2021, the court heard how the child wrote notes following the alleged incident in a journal because he could not recall every detail in the first interview following the “bad memories”.

The court heard how Mr Barnes allegedly took the child into the male bathroom after the boy injured his thigh and asked him to pull his pants down.

Christopher David Barnes was 33 when he was arrested. Picture: Facebook

Christopher Barnes leaves Parramatta District Court with his mother at the start of his trial.

The court heard how the teacher allegedly asked if the boy wanted “me to show me his thing”.

“I kept saying no,’’ the boy told police.

“He told me … I can show you mine or you can show me yours.’’

The boy told the court “Master Barnes” kissed the child on the cheek, touched his penis and “stuck his finger up my a***” when he was not wearing any clothes.

“Sometimes he talked to me and told me to hug him and kiss him on the cheek and I know he does it with some other boys. I keep on forgetting (their names).

“Whenever he kissed me he said ‘oh yes’.’’

The boy alleged the instructor told him to take off “all of my clothes” but was not “100 per cent (sure) that he told me to hug him’’.

The court heard how the boy alleged Mr Barnes asked him to lie to his family after what happened in the bathroom.

“He used to be like ‘This is for your own good when you’re growing, like I’m here to help you when you’re growing’,’’ the boy said.

The court heard how he was angry at his family “for no reason” and started crying during the police interview.

Asked where the alleged incident occurred, the boy told police it was outside the cubicle in the bathroom, which had one toilet and a shower.

He told police he was too scared to speak when the alleged assault occurred.

During cross examination by the Crown prosecutor, the boy told the court Mr Barnes kept touching him and asking him to open up the “skin of my private part”.

The boy also alleged Mr Barnes started pulling down his pants and touching his own penis and saw his hand moving outside this pants.

The boy told the court Mr Barnes allegedly said he would show him his penis if the child showed him his genitalia and “so I just started taking down my pants and I took them off”.

The boy said he did not remember to tell police all the details from the first interview so returned for the second interview because “it was all happening so quick, I must have forgotten those things”.

He denied that anyone told him what to say in the second interview.

Defence barrister Troy Edwards questioned the boy if parents were present when classes were held, to which the boy said “no I can't remember”.

Mr Edwards also suggested that when the boy told his parents that Master Chris had touched him he had already heard about the other boy making allegations against the instructor.

The court heard how the child took his shirt off by Mr Barnes’ request “which I could completely understand because I was injured”.

Mr Edwards referred to a police interview when the boy allegedly told police Mr Barnes pulled the boy aside to talk about his pubic hair near the class (not the bathroom) to which the child agreed.

He also agreed that he was asked about his injury at Mr Barnes’ desk but the boy told the court he “forgot to say he took me to the bathroom” and that he was confused.

On Monday, a witness gave evidence about Mr Barnes allegedly going into the bathroom of the gym with another student and kissing him in October 2020.

An interview between the witness and police from November 4, 2020, was played to the jury. The child told investigators he heard the boy complaining about his shoulder hurting from sunburn before allegedly seeing Mr Barnes take him into the bathroom.

Christopher Barnes has pleaded not guilty to a string of sexual offences. Picture: Facebook

The court heard how the witness alleged he could not see the instructor and student inside the bathroom but heard them outside when he was washing his sweaty face at a sink.

The main bathroom door was not shut, the court heard.

The witness allegedly heard Mr Barnes say “show me, show me” and the boy said “my shoulder hurts, my shoulder hurts”.

He said the boy and the instructor were in the bathroom two or three minutes while he washed his face but could never see Mr Barnes.

Police asked how the child was after he returned to class, to which the witness said “normal”.

“After that he wasn’t complaining.’’

When Ms Knowles cross examined the witness and recalled the part in the police interview when he told police he could not recall the boy mentioning sunburn.

When asked what happened when children were injured, the witness said Master Chris would apply an ice pack and clean the mat.

“ … He gives them an ice pack and that’s pretty much it,’’ he said.

“He takes the to the bathroom and wipes the wound, gives them an ice pack and puts a towel on them and asks them ‘how are you feeling now’?”.

Under cross examination from defence barrister Mr Edwards asked the witness:

“While you were going to the bathroom of the Fearless Gym that door (main bathroom door) was always open wasn’t it?,’’ Mr Edwards asked.

The witness agreed. “Yes.’’

The trial before Judge Robert Montgomery continues.

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