Tinder user Brett Taylor, who allegedly raped and choked his dates, granted bail
A Melbourne university student who police allege choked and raped two young women he met on Tinder has been granted bail.
A Melbourne university student who police allege choked and raped two women he met on Tinder and claimed it was consensual “erotic asphyxiation” has been granted bail.
Berwick man Brett Taylor is accused of four counts of rape and two counts of assault by choking.
The 25-year-old was granted bail in the Victorian Supreme Court on Wednesday after an earlier hearing last week.
“I must say I find this a difficult case but I’ve come down on the side of finding (Taylor) should be admitted to bail,” Justice Paul Coghlan ruled.
Taylor was young, had no prior convictions and had the support of his mother who would report any breaches of his conditions, the judge found.
The court heard the first alleged rape took place in Drouin in 2018 after he and a 19-year-old women he met on Tinder went on a date.
Police will allege a second 18-year-old woman was raped after Mr Taylor showed up to a house party at student accommodation at Burwood.
She was allegedly raped in her bed while coming in and out of consciousness, the court was told.
“It perhaps goes further than rough sex; it’s choking the victim so she’s unable to respond,” Prosecutor Brett Sonnet told the court last week.
But Taylor’s lawyer argued his client complied with police and believed the sex acts were consensual “erotic asphyxiation”.
“He accepted the act of putting his hand around the necks and he indicated it was part of the sexual act and was wholly consensual. And as I understand it, it’s sometimes referred to as ‘erotic asphyxiation’,” defence lawyer Pardeep Tiwana argued.
Taylor’s mother had previously told the court her son was “very respectful, loving, caring”.
He will next appear in court in October.