Hugh Sweeney found not guilty of raping woman he met in Richmond bar

A Prahran man accused of raping a woman as she slept at his place following a night out at a Richmond bar has been found not guilty.

The nephew of an Order of Australia recipient has been found not guilty of raping a woman as she slept after allegedly coaxing her back to his apartment.

Hugh Sweeney, 35, was on Tuesday acquitted by a County Court jury of raping the woman hours after they first met at a bar in Richmond.

The 12-person jury began deliberating on Monday morning and found the single charge of rape was not proved beyond reasonable doubt after a week-long trial that heard from multiple witnesses including Mr Sweeney and the woman.

Mr Sweeney breathed a sigh of relief as the jury returned its verdict and family members seated in court, including his renowned commercial barrister uncle Michael Sweeney OAM, comforted one another before he was released from the dock.

The alleged victim was not in court for the verdict.

Outside court, Mr Sweeney was flanked by his legal team and refused to comment on his acquittal, but one of his lawyers said justice had been delivered.

“They returned the only possible verdict that could of occurred in this case,” he said.

“Mr Sweeney is grateful for that and he’s maintained his innocence from the very beginning.

“Justice has been dealt today.”

The trial heard Mr Sweeney allegedly raped the woman, then in her early 20s, hours after meeting her at Public House in Richmond on June 28, 2015.

Hugh Sweeney, who was found not guilty of rape, pictured with his uncle, Michael Sweeney OAM, outside the County Court. Picture: Nicki Connolly

Prosecutor Paul Kounnas told the jury Mr Sweeney introduced himself to the woman on the dance floor before they stepped outside for a cigarette.

The woman allegedly told him she was going home before he offered her a ride home in an Uber he had booked, which she initially declined but accepted after he insisted.

As they drove off, Mr Sweeney allegedly told the woman they could go back to his Prahran apartment, promising he would not “try anything”.

After arriving at his apartment, the woman allegedly borrowed clothing before getting into Mr Sweeney’s bed to sleep.

It’s alleged Mr Sweeney tried kissing her but she rebuffed him before he stopped and she fell asleep.

The woman allegedly later woke up to Mr Sweeney raping her before she jumped out of bed and asked what he was doing.

Mr Sweeney denied wrongdoing and claimed she consented to some sexual acts.

In his closing address, Mr Sweeney’s barrister Peter Morrissey SC said the woman, whose evidence was heard in closed court, was not a credible or reliable witness.

The jury was told the woman cried to her mother after she was picked up but did not report the incident to police until February 2017 – about 18 months after the alleged rape.

She allegedly ran into Mr Sweeney at a bar in March 2017, where she approached him saying he had hurt her.

Mr Kounnas told the jury Mr Sweeney did not recognise the woman, but she spoke about the night before he provided her his contact details saying she could pass them on to police.

The court heard the investigation was closed in June 2017 after the woman failed to engage with police, but it was reopened the following year upon her request.