Police claim three women drugged, raped and held captive in Brisbane granny flat

When a woman mouthed the words “help me please” to a Melbourne police officer, little did authorities know of the sickening details that would be revealed inside a suburban house of horrors 1600km away.

One alleged victim from a suburban Brisbane house of horrors — where three women were allegedly drugged, raped, choked and held captive — only escaped after mouthing “help me” to a Victoria Police officer when the man was pulled over for speeding, a court has heard.

Details of the case — and the identity of the man accused of the terrible crimes — can be ­revealed for the first time after he was committed to stand trial on 50 charges in the District Court.

David Jae Hwa Lee, 30, from the leafy suburb of Fig Tree Pocket, was working as a sales manager at a Volkswagen dealership in Kedron, when he is accused of drugging the women, aged 22, 25 and 35, over two months then raping them at the granny flat he lived in behind his mother’s home.

He is accused of keeping one woman captive as a sex slave for two weeks in January 2018 and one for seven days in December 2017, the third was allegedly threatened with a knife if she tried to run away.

He told them the sleeping pills he gave them were vitamins, court documents allege.

According to court document, he grabbed one woman by the throat, dragged her into bedroom threw her onto bed, the next day he shaved her, drugged and raped her.

Police will allege he later published photos of one of the alleged victims on a Korean social media platform, and photos of another woman’s passport online, along with details of where she worked, and threatened two he would have them deported if they didn’t continue to see him.

In total, he has been charged with 52 offences, including six counts of rape, three counts of deprivation of liberty, two of extortion, one of choking, and making and distributing prohibited videos.

SHOCKING ALLEGATIONS

Details of the prosecution case were revealed in the Supreme Court after Lee’s bail was revoked on May 23.

The 22-year-old alleged ­victim, who first met Lee on ­Instagram in November 2017, alleged Lee would “lock the doors” of his Fig Tree Pocket unit “when we were inside together” and he urged her to take tablets that he said “were just vitamins” from a bottle branded Cenovis.

“He preys on young Korean girls,” she told police.

She alleged Lee held a kitchen knife pointed at her on December 12, 2017, while he said: “You know what will ­happen if you run away”, she claims in her witness statement.

The 35-year-old alleged victim, who police alleged was held captive at Lee’s house for seven days in December 2017, told police Lee kept her captive by locking the doors and windows when he left the granny flat and plying her with sleeping pills each night insisting she “take it from his mouth”.

She met Lee while working as an escort, and said she agreed to see Lee outside of work because Lee “seemed like a nice guy”.

On December 21, 2017, she alleges Lee “strangled” her with both hands for up to two minutes.

“I was not able to breathe or speak. I was very fearful that he would kill me, at that moment I believed he could,” she told police.

On December 29, she alleges Lee punched her in the face.

Lee took two of the women on separate trips to Melbourne, and took them to trendy restaurants, insisting they smile and look happy, court documents state.

‘HELP ME PLEASE’

During one trip in December 2017, it’s alleged one woman was able to escape from Lee by silently mouthing the words “help me please” to a Victorian police officer.

The 25-year-old alleges that while Lee held her against her will between January 17, 2018 and January 31, he shaved her pubic hair, drugged her with the sleeping pill benzodiazepam, tried to strangle her, punched her in the chest and raped her six times.

She alleges that while raping her he would cover her mouth with one hand, and use the other hand to hold her wrists.

When she tried to leave on January 22, Lee allegedly blackmailed her with three naked photos and a two videos, telling her he would show them to her friends and family.

Lee has a criminal record in NSW for stalking in 2014.

The court ordered him to go to counselling, the Supreme Court heard. His bail was revoked on May 23 after police charged him with failing to report for bail, and possession of nine grams of ice crystals.

Hair samples taken from the women allegedly showed the presence of sleeping pills in their system. His lawyers argue all sexual encounters occurred with consent.