‘Do you know I care about you?’: Rose Bay hairdresser allegedly raped 15-year-old, court told

One of Sydney’s most prominent hairdressers is facing trial, accused of raping three teenagers he took on as clients.

Note: Mr D’Aguanno has since been found not guilty on all charges.

One of Sydney’s “leading hairdressers” allegedly did the makeup and hair of a 16-year-old before raping her in his photography studio and telling her he “cared” for her, a court has heard.

Former Rose Bay salon owner Emilio D’Aguanno, 80, is on trial in the NSW District Court over the alleged historical rape of three teenage clients between 1977 and 1991.

Mr D’Aguanno has pleaded not guilty and says the sexual encounters were consensual.

In opening remarks on Tuesday, Mr D’Aguanno’s lawyer Phillip Boulten SC told the jury that his Italian-born client was “debonair” and “stylish” at the time.

Mr D’Aguanno moved to Sydney at age 25 in 1969.

“In the 1970s, Mr D’Aguanno was one of Sydney’s leading hairdressers. His salon was actually very fashionable back then, he was not an 80-year-old man. He was very much younger,” Mr Boulten told the court.

“He was an Italian smoothie … He was European, he was popular. He photographed many clients, some of whom became models.”

Mr Boulten told the jury Mr D’Aguanno worked with fashion figures such as Chanel figure Karl Langerfeld and said he would often take models on international tours.

“The young women who were models and stylists were portrayed very professionally,” he said.

“He has only ever participated consensually in sexual activity with the women that he’s been intimate with over the years He’s never forced anybody to have sex with him, not these three women; no one.”

The first complainant says she was 18 at the time of the alleged offending and met Mr D’Aguanno after responding to an advertisement for “hair styling and photographs” for his studio Emilio.

The court heard how Mr D’Aguanno asked her to come to his “photography studio” near the salon and asked her to change into a two-piece outfit, which was a “very short” piece of fabric.

The crown prosecutor said Mr D’Aguanno asked her to take off her underwear before directing her to “lie back” on soft “balloon-like” cushions.

“She heard the shutter of the camera for a minute or two, and the next thing, Mr D’Aguanno forced himself upon her,” the crown prosecutor said.

“She said to him, ‘no stop’. He asked her why. She said. ‘Because I am a virgin.”

The court heard how the woman – who is now 64 – was left in shock and pain from the alleged incident.

The second complainant says she was just 15 when she first got her haircut by Mr D’Aguanno at his studio in Rose Bay in Sydney’s eastern suburb.

After the haircut, Mr D’Aguanno allegedly asked if she would pose for photos, taking her to his photography studio and ordering her to put on a leather bikini.

The court heard how the session allegedly took a dark turn when Mr D’Aguanno guided her to lie down on a couch before forcing himself onto her.

Afterwards, she said she dressed back into her school uniform before Mr D’Aguanno drove her home in his Porsche.

“She was confused and just went with it because he was the adult,” the crown prosecutor told the court.

Mr D’Aguanno claims he did not have sex with the girl until she was 16 and that it was consensual.

The third complainant says she met Mr D’Aguanno when she was 16 years old.

She claims Mr D’Aguanno introduced himself outside a salon he owned at the QVB, telling her she had a “good look” and if she would like to do some modelling for him.

Mr D’Aguanno was around 45 at the time.

The court heard how Mr D’Aguannotold her he was going to “help her become a model”.

A few weeks later, Mr D’Aguanno allegedly drove the teenager to his photography studio in Rushcutters Bay.

He did her makeup and hair before he allegedly began touching her and told her to wear a bra to sleep to “keep her shape” as she got older, the court heard.

The 16-year-old told him she had to go before allegedly Mr D’Aguanno forced himself upon her.

“She was scared, frozen, shaking, and had tears in her eyes,” the court prosecutor said.

“She said, ‘Please don’t’. Her voice was silent-ish, but she described it loud enough for him to hear it, but she didn’t scream or yell it. He started to touch her further and told her to just relax.”

The court heard that after the alleged act, Mr D’Aguanno said to her: “Do you know I care about you?”

Mr D’Aguanno was charged with one count of rape, one count of sexual assault with a person under the age of 16 and two counts of sexual intercourse without consent. He also faces an alternative count of carnally knowing a girl between the ages of 10 and 16.

His trial is expected to continue for several weeks.

1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)

National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028

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