Frank Zumbo: Sexual touching allegations revealed in court hearing

One of five women who have accused the former chief of staff of MP Craig Kelly of sexual touching has told the court he grabbed her thigh and shook it while driving her home.

The chief of staff of former MP Craig Kelly used “power and control” to manipulate five women before he sexually touched them, a court has heard.

Francesco ‘Frank’ Zumbo, 55, was charged with multiple sexual touching and indecent assaults charges in June 2021 after a lengthy investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against four women aged 27, 26, 23 and 16 between 2014 and 2020.

Zumbo had already pleaded not guilty to 18 offences – nine counts of common assault, two counts of aggravated sexual touching, and seven counts of aggravated indecent assault.

He has now pleaded not guilty to two new offences pertaining to the fifth complainant – one charge of indecent assault and a back-up charge of common assault.

The hearing began on Wednesday in Downing Centre Local Court in front of Magistrate Gareth Christofi and is expected to continued for the next week and a half.

Crown prosecutor Shaun Croner made his opening address to the court saying Zumbo knew the women in a professional context while they were employees, under his supervision and management at a Sutherland Shire office.

Frank Zumbo arrived at Downing Centre for the first day of his sexual touching hearing. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

He said there were “common threads” of “power and control” between the women’s alleged experiences.

“The defendant was at the time a Liberal Party member’s chief of staff. He had access to a world, a political sphere that would have been particularly opaque to young females and he offered them a career, development and employment,” Mr Croner said. “That was the power.

“There was a theme of control, the prosecution anticipates we will hear evidence the defendant promised career development and mentoring and quite immediately acted in a way to control.”

Frank Zumbo pictured as he leaves the Surry Hills police centre last year. Picture: Damian Shaw

Mr Croner said Zumbo acted “volatile, relentless and was quite aggressive”, with him establishing communication quickly after meeting the women.

“The defendant acted in a way to isolate the complainants, gained their trust then switched to a different mode of communication,” he said.

“In some instances he was very kind and would quickly move to control them, being aggressive, accusatory and demand answers to questions that were of a personal nature.

Frank Zumbo. Picture by Damian Shaw

“He would introduce topics of a sexual or romantic nature and would ultimately coax each complainant to talk about matters that were personal.”

The court also heard recordings of Zumbo speaking to one of the women will be played.

Mr Croner said the prosecution case relied on each of the complainant’s allegations strengthening the other’s and showed an escalation of Zumbo’s behaviour that ultimately resulted in sexual touching.

Zumbo’s defence barrister Carolyn Davenport made a short opening address where shesaid Zumbo denied all allegations that any sexual conduct occurred, rather he “tried to have a collegial atmosphere”, be friendly and promote the young women’s future careers.

The court heard from the first complainant who said she met Zumbo in 2014, and during a car ride home after work Zumbo grabbed her thigh and shook it.

“He grabbed my right thigh with his left hand and held it there and gave it a shake,” she said.

The woman said he touched her bare skin, because she was wearing a black skirt, with his whole hand a couple of centimetres above her knee, for about 30 seconds.

“I froze as I remember being in shock that it happened,” she said.

The court heard the woman hoped Zumbo would help her start her career after she finished university.

Frank Zumbo with his barrister Carolyn Davenport at Downing Centre. NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

She said Zumbo added her on Facebook and they began talking over Messenger and exchanged phone numbers before they met up.

She told the court he said words to the effect of “that is very sexy, I’m going to start falling in love with you”, “you are a very trendy dresser” and encouraged her to keep her cardigan off while also talking about her career interests.

“He also said something along the lines of, ‘you are the whole package but you’ve got a few rough edges but we will sort it out’,” the woman said.

She said Zumbo offered her a job on the spot and then “insisted” on driving her home.

She agreed to come into the office about a week later and on her first day, Zumbo collected her along with two other women from their houses.

Frank Zumbo used to work in ousted MP Craig Kelly’s office. Picture: Twitter

The woman told the court Zumbo greeted one of the women with a hug and kiss.

She undertook admin tasks once at the office but at the end of the day she claimed Zumbo asked her to sign a confidentiality or nondisclosure agreement. She asked to read it first, and never ended up signing it.

Around 6pm, she said Zumbo drove the three women back to their houses.

The woman told the court she saw, from inside the car, Zumbo hug and kiss one of the women goodbye before making the comment to her, “why were you hovering …[we] were having a special moment".

The woman claimed Zumbo asked her to get in the front seat, which she did and she assumed he would take her home but he allegedly took her to a car park at a sporting club restaurant for dinner, however they never left the car.

She said Zumbo asked her, “would you sleep with anyone to prevent a terrorist attack” to which she replied “that is a ridiculous question”.

The woman said Zumbo asked her to delete phone recordings that had nothing to do with him, and accused her of being an ASIO spy before they left the car park.

Frank Zumbo with his defence team arriving at Downing Centre Court in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

The woman claimed Zumbo asked her if she knew why he took her to the club car park to which she replied, “I think you didn’t want me to have any reception on my phone”.

“You are very clever for figuring that out,” Zumbo allegedly said.

The woman claimed Zumbo said, “the way you talk is really sexy, no wonder the boys want to get into your pants” before making a comment about how she should have a “friends with benefits” relationship.

The woman said that during that conversation Zumbo grabbed her thigh.

She told the court they continued driving, stopping at pizza shop in Kirribilli and a McDonalds before driving to another car park.

The woman claimed Zumbo asked her, “are you bisexual, are you a leso”; “why won’t you let your walls down, you are not emotive like other girls, I’m worried you are going to break my heart” before saying “I need you to swear your utmost loyalty to me”.

The court heard they only stayed at the car park for a couple of minutes before she was dropped home.

“The final thing he said to me was, ‘are you a kisser?’,” to which she replied “no”.

The woman said she felt pressure to give Zumbo a “very quick hug” before she walked straight into her house, broke down and told her mother what had happened.

Frank Zumbo pictured with his barrister Carolyn Davenport. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

During cross examination from Timothy Kent, the woman was questioned about her version of events.

“I suggest Mr Zumbo touched your leg for no more than a second, do you agree or disagree,” Mr Kent asked.

“I disagree,” she said.

“It was a casual act, do you agree or disagree?” he asked.

“I disagree,” she said.

Mr Kent continued: “Other than the comment about sleeping with someone to stop a terrorist attack, there was no other discussion of a sexual nature, do you agree or disagree".

“I disagree,” she said.

The hearing continues.