Melbourne junior footy and cricket coach Matthew ‘Matt’ Nelson found guilty of sexual assault
A junior cricket and footy coach who sexually assaulted a woman hopes to avoid a conviction so he can resume mentoring children.
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A western suburbs cricketer who coaches junior players claimed his sex victim engaged in “sexualised behaviour” because she danced with him at a club.
Matthew Nelson, 34, fronted the County Court on Friday after he was found guilty of sexual assault.
Nelson sexually assaulted his female victim while the pair were in a lift at a city apartment complex in late-2019.
The court heard Nelson violated the victim after she had “become extremely intoxicated” while on a “girls night out”.
Nelson, who had two rape charges “discontinued” by the prosecution, encountered the victim at a nightclub earlier in the night.
Nelson “helped” the woman return to the complex before he sexually assaulted the victim, the court was told.
The defence highlighted “aspects of the prosecution opening” which were “not accepted” by Nelson.
“‘At no stage during the night’s events did (the victim) find herself sexually attracted to or interested in Mr Nelson’ that entire paragraph is just totally gratuitous,” the defence submitted.
“It’s exactly what (the victim) said and, I say, in a self-serving way, she dances in front of him … I mean that’s what she says now … it’s just of no significance …
“What is she doing putting her arms around his neck, she’s prone, her body is full prone against his body …
“When the lift moves she falls and her pelvis goes into his pelvis … what is she doing with her arms around his neck … It doesn’t give the full story about what is actually taking place in the lift …
“There was sexualised behaviour by the complainant in the club, that is provided by the CCTV …
“The body language of (the victim) has been sexually active in terms of pursuing whatever she is doing …
“She’s in a similar position with Mr Nelson as they come into the lift so in my submissions it’s taken far too high to read that body language and say there’s no physical attraction …
“In the context of the prosecution opening, again, it serves no purpose except to put her in a morally higher position than she actually is …
“It is (the victim) that put her arms around him in a … at least, a provocative position … it’s provocative”
The defence submitted Nelson, a plasterboard salesman, formerly worked for Western Regions Cricket Centre.
Nelson, a father, also shifted to England in 2019 to pursue a semi-professional cricket career but injury cut his foray short.
The court heard Nelson played football and cricket from a young age and commenced coaching junior cricket in 2018.
The defence also submitted Nelson was a junior footy coach.
Nelson, who the defence submitted was a Bellbridge Cricket Club junior coordinator volunteer, was “very keen” to resume his coaching duties.
The court heard Nelson’s “involvement ceased” after his working with children check was suspended following the criminal charges.
Nelson, of Melbourne’s west, is also “keen” to become a footy umpire, the defence submitted.
The defence pleaded with Judge Stewart Bayles to spare Nelson a conviction so he could resume his junior coaching roles.
Nelson will be sentenced at a later date.
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