‘She’s all yours now’: Two rapists walk free, denying wrongdoing after four trials

A young woman raped by two trusted friends at a birthday party has detailed the devastating impacts of their betrayal on her life.

Luke Merryfull and Shaun Bloomfield have walked free after raping a woman at a party in 2016.

A young woman raped by two men she considered close friends has faced them in court to detail the devastating impact of their crimes.

The woman, from western Victoria, described the seven years since the ordeal as the “worst” she has ever had to go through.

“Having two friends I trusted … assault me, this crime will always have an impact on my life,” she said.

Her statement came after Shaun Bloomfield and Luke Merryfull, both 28, were found guilty by a jury over the rape in April 2016.

The two men returned before the County Court of Victoria on Wednesday where they were sentenced to time served and placed on community corrections orders.

Both men walked free the same day.

The court heard their victim had moved interstate, feeling “ostracised” by the community she grew up in.

“She has a substantial loss of confidence and trust in everything and anyone – it impacts upon all aspects of her life,” Judge David Brookes said as he handed down his sentence.

Shaun Bloomfield at the County Court Victoria. Picture: Nicki Connolly

“She has serious mental health problems relating to post traumatic stress disorder, depressive episodes and severe anxiety.

“Her view of the world and her trust of people will always be affected.”

The court heard the woman was once the life of the party but now finds herself struggling to eat or leave the house.

In her statement, the victim wrote of continued feelings of hurt, anger, sadness and confusion following the actions of the two men she considered close friends.

She has been regularly seeing a psychologist and spoke of optimism that one day she will be able to move on with her life.

“She’s working on the impact being less and less each year but her view of the world and her trust of people will always be affected,” Judge Brooks said.

The two mates, Bloomfield and Merryfull, took turns raping the woman at a party and walked free from court despite showing no remorse for their “appalling” actions.

Merryfull told Bloomfield “she’s all yours now” after he finished raping the victim at the celebration in western Victoria in 2016.

Merryfull then left, with Bloomfield forcing the victim to touch his genitalia before raping her.

The pair, both now 28, have always denied any wrongdoing, claiming the sexual encounter was consensual.

Even as they faced Victoria’s County Court on Wednesday for sentencing — after a seven-year court battle that involved four trials, an appeal and two jury convictions — they maintained their innocence.

Luke Merryfull outside court. Picture: Nicki Connolly

Despite the victim repeatedly saying no, the court heard Bloomfield, a GPS technician from Horsham, claimed in a recent assessment to see if he was suitable for a community-based order that he had “no inkling at all” she was not consenting.

Merryfull, a landscaper from Highton, also told the assessor he was innocent, but did accept the harm caused to the victim.

Judge David Brookes said it was concerning the men had not acknowledged the jury’s guilty verdicts, especially given their victim was someone who had trusted them.

“In my view, each of you knew she wasn’t consenting,” Judge Brookes said, adding that they simply went on believing and hoping that nothing would come of it.

“The victim was a friend who trusted you. She did not want to have sex with either of you.

“To be sexually violated and raped by two men whom she trusted is a grave thing.”

He said Merryfull’s words to Bloomfield when he had finished with the victim showed “a certain degree of callousness”.

“(You saw her) as merely an object for both of you to have sex with without her consent,” he said.

Judge Brookes accepted the history and delays in the case had been “extraordinary and exceptional”.

The duo were initially found guilty by a jury in 2019, with Bloomfield jailed for five years and eight months, while Merryfull was sentenced to four years and 10 months.

Merryfull leaving court. Picture: Nicki Connolly

Bloomfield must complete 300 hours of community work. Picture: Nicki Connolly

But on appeal, their convictions were quashed and a new trial ordered on the basis of fresh evidence.

They were released on bail, having already served 19 months of their sentence, pending another trial.

After a further two trials failed, the duo were convicted again in August last year following a fourth trial.

The jury, after four days of deliberations, found Bloomfield guilty of two counts of rape, and one of sexual assault, and Merryfull guilty of one count of rape.

Judge Brookes said both men had made attempts to rehabilitate, and had been law-abiding and hardworking citizens pending the outcome of their case.

“It does not excuse the appalling behaviour that each of you demonstrated,” he said.

But he said this was a “rare” case where members of the public would not expect the young men to be locked up for longer.

In placing them both on community corrections orders, Judge Brookes cited their previous good character, as well as Merryfull’s involvement in community football, and Bloomfield’s service to the community in fighting bushfires.

They were both sentenced to the 19 months of jail they had already served, with Bloomfield ordered to complete 300 hours of unpaid community work on a three-year CCO, while Merryfull was placed on a two-year order with 200 hours of work.

Judge Brookes warned them both that if they breached the order, they would face being re-sentenced to jail.