‘Playboy rapist’ Simon Monteiro makes court bid to have laptop, iPhones returned

Bizarre court scenes erupted as the notorious ‘Playboy rapist’ accused police of ‘terrorising him’ and ruining his relationship with his ex-fiance.

A notorious sex offender dubbed the “Playboy rapist” has argued police have “terrorised” him by keeping his personal devices for three years and destroying his relationship with his ex-fiance.

Simon Monteiro, 66, was sentenced in 2009 to 12 years prison for raping and bashing a Sydney woman.

The former model was nicknamed the “Playboy rapist” for bragging about his glamorous life in which he claimed he had relationships with Mariah Carey and Barbara Hershey.

After his release, a judge granted authorities a five-year extended supervision order (ESO) to restrict his movements and protect the community.

Simon Monteiro was sentenced to 12 years in jail for aggravated sexual assault.

But between July and August 2020, he breached that order by using multiple computers, mobile phones, fake names, email addresses and social media platforms.

He was sentenced to two more years in prison for the breach.

However, he successfully fought in the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal for his sentence to be reduced to 18 months, arguing it was manifestly excessive and he received inadequate legal representation.

The seemingly never-ending legal saga was revived in the Downing Centre Local Court on Monday when he made an application for NSW Police to return $6,000 worth of laptops and phones they seized during his arrest over the ESO breach three years ago.

NSW Police prosecutor Ryan Coffey opposed the application, arguing Monteiro lodged an intention to appeal his conviction for the ESO breach with the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal and police needed to keep them as evidence for future proceedings.

Mr Coffey also submitted Monteiro told police in a previous interview that one seized iPhone was owned by Monteiro’s ex-partner.

But Monteiro told the court he only gave the phone to his ex-fiance temporarily to “protect her” from police seeing intimate texts and pictures exchanged between the two.

He said the couple made a “verbal agreement” that she would give the phone back but she no longer wanted anything to do with him due to the police investigation.

Monteiro claimed police had ruined his life and his former relationship.

“You people have destroyed that relationship. She was my fiance, the love of my life,” he told the court as he grew emotional.

“(Police) would go through her panties’ drawer at 2am in the morning”.

“I swear on the life of my father and family and dog who I love more than anything that I am the sole owner of the material today”.

Wearing a grey puffer jacket and grey jeans, Monteiro told the court he pleaded guilty to “things (he) was not guilty of” in regards to breaching the ESO because he needed to look after his sick dad.

“This is a state-sponsored vendetta; this is a disgrace,” he told Mr Coffey.

“You should be spending money on kids with leukaemia, not this rubbish, and you know it … I was being terrorised and I’m being terrorised to this day”.

Monteiro’s lawyer, Richard Cummins, told the court Monteiro needed his devices back for work.

“He knows he’s still subject to this ESO and if he were to delete anything he’d be subject to prison,” Mr Cummins said.

“He’s had occasions where police have gone to his employers and told them about his previous convictions and they’ve stopped him from working … He needs these devices to work … (they) cost $6,000, they’re not cheap”.

The matter was part-heard before Magistrate Daniel Covington.

It will return to court on September 5 when a police officer — who was not available to give evidence on Monday — can be cross-examined over the seizure of the devices.

— With NCA Newswire