Fourth woman claims she was sexually assaulted at Newcastle bucks party

A fourth woman has told a court she was sexually assaulted at a unit being rented out for a bucks party in Newcastle.

A fourth woman has claimed she was sexually assaulted inside an Airbnb hired out for a bucks party after she met one of the partygoers for a “hook-up”.

The woman, who can’t be named, was called as a witness in the NSW District Court trial of three men charged over a series of alleged rapes during the weekend away in Newcastle.

Brothers Maurice and Marius Hawell, and Andrew David, have pleaded not guilty to the alleged aggravated sexual assaults of three women in February 2022.

They maintain any sexual activity was consensual and deny certain acts took place at all.

Maurice Hawell has pleaded not guilty. Picture: Paul Brescia

Andrew David denies any wrongdoing.

The jury has heard a woman, who is not a complainant in the case, went to the Parry St unit on February 26, 2022 to meet up with one man referred to in court as Male 1.

While there, she alleges, one unnamed man subjected her to “non-consensual” oral sex in the kitchen area.

Afterwards while having consensual sex with Male 1, she claims two other men, given the names Male 2 and Male 3, allegedly entered the bedroom and began touching her, the court heard.

No charges have been laid in relation to the alleged conduct the woman has claimed in court.

She was called to give evidence on what she saw during the alleged assault of a 19-year-old woman, who news.com.au will call Ms C, on the same night she visited the Airbnb.

Ms C claims to have been approached on the street by a man known as Jonathon, who the court heard was Maurice Hawell, 30, before allegedly being raped by him and David in the apartment.

The Parry St rental. Picture: Supplied

Sharyn Hall SC, acting for David, cross-examined the witness on Friday saying it “wouldn’t be possible” for the alleged oral sex to have occurred as the woman has claimed.

The woman told the court she was either sitting on a stool or standing when a man, who was not Male 1, used “some force” to push his head between her legs.

“I remember somebody performing oral sex on me from below while they were laying on the ground,” the woman said.

Ms Hall zeroed in on how it was physically possible for that to happen as described and what “force” was allegedly applied to the woman, which she could not directly answer.

“The reality is… there was no force was there?” Ms Hall said.

“I’m not sure how to answer that,” the woman said.

“There was no oral sex at all was there? Agree or disagree?” Ms Hall put to her.

The witness replied: “Disagree.”

She also claims that during sex with Male 1 she saw two other men, who she identified as Male 2 and Male 3, inside the bedroom.

“I remember that I was touched between my legs from behind and I was being watched and they were coming in and out of the room without me wanting them to,” the woman said.

The court has heard Ms C had been out at Cambridge Hotel in Newcastle. Picture: Google Maps.

The court has heard nine men were staying at the apartment over the weekend from February 24 to 27, 2022 for Maurice Hawell’s bucks party.

Maurice Hawell, 22-year-old Marius Hawell and David, 30, have been charged with the alleged assaults. No one else at the party is accused of any wrongdoing.

The witness also described the demeanour of Ms C after she left the bedroom in which she was allegedly raped by Maurice Hawell and David.

The Crown alleges Marius Hawell also entered the room during the incident but did not take part in the sexual acts.

“She (Ms C) was very quiet. Her face was sad and shocked. She walked somewhat slowly and she wasn’t making eye contact with anyone,” the witness said.

She agreed that “some” of those behaviours were also present before Ms C was taken into the bedroom, and that she thought Ms C might have been intoxicated.

The witness went on to say “there were a few things… that led me to be concerned about” Ms C.

She agreed that she did not run out after Ms C or ask if she was OK, and later left the unit with several men staying there.

Ms Hall also pressed the woman on her feelings toward Male 1, who is not accused of wrongdoing, as the jury heard he began to show her “less attention” after they had sex.

He was seen chatting with several other women while the witness was still with the group after leaving the apartment.

“It was only ever going to be a hook up type situation,” she said, later saying she found his behaviour “a little strange”.

The court heard the witness reported her claims in a statement to police in April 2022.

Two other women have previously told the trial they were raped in a dark bedroom by multiple men after returning to the unit for consensual sex with Maurice Hawell, 30, and another man named ‘Matt’ – who is not accused of wrongdoing.

Maurice Hawell and David are facing eight charges, and Marius Hawell is charged with six offences.

The trial continues before Judge Gina O’Rourke.