Accused rapist Lyndon Montgomery says he regrets sending apology text

A former Haileybury student accused of raping a young woman said he sent a text message apologising for his “heinous” actions as an attempt to placate her.

Lyndon Montgomery has been charged with rape. Picture: Facebook

A former private school student accused of raping a young woman after he broke into her home says he regrets sending her a message apologising for his “heinous” actions.

Lyndon Montgomery, 25, is standing trial at the County Court after he pleaded not guilty to rape and aggravated burglary for allegedly sneaking into his victim’s Bayside home and sexually assaulting her in September 2018.

The Haileybury graduate admitted having sex with the woman after a night out of drinking but claims it was consensual.

On the final day of evidence on Friday, Mr Montgomery was grilled by prosecutor Daryl Brown who questioned why he had sent an apology to the woman days after the alleged incident.

“You’re an intelligent man aren’t you?’ Mr Brown asked.

“I have an education,” Mr Montgomery replied.

“You weren’t stupid enough to send that message to … placate her?” Mr Brown asked.

“Believe it or not, I was,” he replied.

Four days after the alleged rape, Mr Montgomery texted the woman an apology saying he needed to do some “serious character searching” before he could call himself a “good man”.

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

Mr Montgomery sent the woman a text days after the alleged rape.

Lyndon Montgomery is accused of breaking into the woman’s home.

“It was never my intention for things not to be consensual.”

Mr Montgomery told the court sending the message was a mistake and he was still reeling from being accused of rape at the time.

“I thought if I told her what she wanted to hear she wouldn’t go to the police,” he said.

When Mr Brown asked Mr Montgomery if he had “deep regret” because he had sex with the woman without her consent, he replied: “I agonised for hours about that night but I did not rape (her).”

He said he felt “awful” about the sex because the woman had a boyfriend.

Mr Montgomery’s father John Montgomery told the court he had advised his son to text the woman to make sure she was okay and to apologise.

But he said it was “horrific” to see what his son had actually sent and he knew the message could be “misconstrued”.

On September 23, 2018, Mr Montgomery had been drinking with the woman and others at Lucky Coq bar on Chapel Street.

The group caught an Uber following the drinking session, with Mr Montgomery and the woman travelling to her home after the other passengers had been dropped off.

Prosecutors allege Mr Montgomery told the woman outside her home that he loved her and wanted to be with her but she rebuffed his advances.

It’s alleged she closed the locked front door behind him and jumped in the shower but he entered her home via an unlocked sliding door.

Mr Montgomery allegedly entered the bathroom but she said to him: “What are you doing? Get out.”

The woman — who’d had a number of drinks and was intoxicated — claims the next thing she remembered was Mr Montgomery raping her in her bed.

The following morning, the woman allegedly woke up with Mr Montgomery beside her in bed and told him to leave.

That day, she broke down in tears when telling her friends about the alleged rape.

Mr Montgomery denies the allegations and claims they had consensual sex.

A number of Mr Montgomery’s friends and family testified the allegations against him were “out of character” and he was someone who treated women with respect.

The trial before Judge Anne Hassan continues.