Former Haileybury boy Lyndon Montgomery pleads not guilty to rape, ordered to stand trial

A former Haileybury student has denied sneaking into a young woman’s home and raping the alleged victim in her own bed.

Lyndon Montgomery has been ordered to stand trial fro rape. Facebook.

A Haileybury graduate allegedly snuck into a young woman’s home and raped her, a court has heard.

Lyndon Montgomery, 23, fronted Melbourne Magistrates Court last week for a two-day committal after he was charged with rape and aggravated burglary.

The court heard Montgomery snuck into his victim’s Bayside home and allegedly raped her in late-2018.

Montgomery, who appeared via videolink from his barrister’s office, has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Montgomery had been drinking with his alleged victim and others at Chapel St bar Lucky Coq earlier in the night according to witness testimony.

The court was told Montgomery, his alleged victim and another person caught an Uber home after the bar session.

Montgomery and his alleged victim travelled on to her home after the other passenger was dropped off.

Montgomery attended Haileybury.

Montgomery walked his alleged victim to her front door and told her he was “in love with her” and “wants to be with her”, the court heard.

The young woman told Montgomery she had a boyfriend and “wasn’t interested”.

The court heard the alleged victim went inside her home, locked the door behind her and jumped in the shower.

Montgomery snuck into the woman’s bedroom via an unlocked sliding door and jumped in the shower with her, the court heard.

The woman – who had consumed several drinks throughout the evening- asked Montgomery what he was doing then told him to “get out”.

Next thing the young woman remembers was Montgomery allegedly raping her in her bed.

The alleged victim woke in the morning with Montgomery still in her bed.

She told him to leave then noticed blood in her bed which she recorded with her phone.

The woman told friends what had happened so they took her to a hospital later that evening.

She later told her mother what happened then reported Montgomery to police in November 2018.

Investigators set up a pretext phone call recording between the alleged victim and Montgomery.

Montgomery admitted accessing the room via the sliding door but claimed he understood the sex was “consensual”.

Montgomery sent the woman a text message following the alleged rape.

The court was presented with evidence from witnesses who were at Lucky Coq and others – including a current Haileybury staffer — who were around Montgomery and the woman in the days following the alleged rape.

A screenshot of a text message obtained by the Herald Sun which Montgomery sent the woman several days after the alleged rape was also presented to the court.

“Hi! I know sorry doesn’t cut it but I do really appreciate you giving me the opportunity to apologise,” Montgomery wrote.

“I’ve done the most heinous thing possible you can do to a woman, and I’ve done it to you.

“It was never my intention for things not to be consensual, I should of (sic) realised what you were communicating to me, but I didn’t, and I pushed it and ever since I’ve felt sick, and that will stay with me forever that I’ve crossed that line.

“I know you want to forget about all this and believe me so do I, but I’ve done something horrible to you and that will stay with me even in the back of my mind.

“ … I should have respected what you have but instead I was unable to restrain, and some serious character searching a (sic) needs to be done before I can call myself a good man.

“And I know this apology is really shit, but honestly how can I for what I’ve done.

“But I hope this gives you whatever you want, whether it some solace or something to hate I hope it finds you in good stead.

“Whatever you want in the future I will respect … Sincerely, Lyndon.”

A witness told the court Montgomery, who had to take some time off work, looked bothered about something and withdrawn in the days following the alleged rape.

The former Haileybury party boy claimed the sex was consensual and he and his alleged victim had been “intimate” in the past.

Magistrate Julie Granger ordered Montgomery stand trail after she said there was “sufficient evidence” he could be convicted of rape.

Montgomery, from Aspendale, will face court again on March 24.

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