Footy player Jackson Williams accused of alleyway attack on nurse

An Essendon District footy player is accused of grabbing a nurse and dragging her into an alleyway to attempt a sexual offence.

Essendon District footy player Jackson Williams is on trial, accused of grabbing a nurse, dragging her onto an alleyway and climbing on top of her. Picture: Facebook

An Essendon District football player is accused of grabbing a nurse who was walking to work, dragging her into an alleyway and pinning her to the ground before an off-duty cop allegedly heard screams and stopped the attack.

Jackson Williams was 19 and had been out clubbing on the morning of October 28, 2018, the County Court of Victoria heard on Tuesday.

The now 21-year-old later told police he had “no clue” what happened when the nurse walked past about 6am while he was allegedly sitting outside an Asian barbecue restaurant.

“I was drunk,” he said in his police interview.

But the entirety of the alleged attack was captured on CCTV played in court.

The 39-year-old woman was on her way to start an early morning shift with headphones in and backpack on when Williams allegedly saw her near the intersection of Brights Place and Little Lonsdale Street in the Melbourne CBD.

He was sitting on a step smoking, prosecutor Stephanie Clancy told the court.

Jackson Williams, a player for the Westmeadows Tigers, pleaded guilty to common assault but not guilty to intent to commit a sexual act without consent. Picture: Facebook

Jackson Williams was 19 when he allegedly attacked a nurse in a random assault in 2018. Picture: Facebook

He is accused of grabbing the nurse without warning from behind and putting her in a headlock before “dragging” her into Brights Place, pinning her onto the ground on her back and climbing on top of her.

CCTV footage played to the court shows a man who looks like Williams remaining on top of the woman for several seconds.

The footage shows her rolling around beneath the man, attempting to shield herself from the attack before he suddenly looks up and slowly jogs away.

Williams and the alleged victim were “not known to each other”, the court heard.

“At no stage during the attack did the accused say anything to her at all,” Ms Clancy said.

HERO OFF-DUTY COP ALLEGEDLY INTERVENES

New Zealand police officer Adrian Woodgate told the court he was in Melbourne with his family to attend the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix on Phillip Island.

He said he and his partner left their hotel shortly after 6am.

She was pushing their one-month-old baby in a pram and he was carrying their four-month-old daughter in a backpack as they walked down Latrobe Street, making their way to the Grand Prix.

When he heard screaming he gave the baby to his wife and shouted “oi!” as he ran into the alleyway, the court heard, causing the attacker to flee.

Mr Woodgate can then be seen on the CCTV footage comforting the victim, who was “incredibly distressed” and bleeding from a fingernail, he said.

He and his family were heading for Southern Cross station to catch the 6.45am bus to Phillip Island – but he said despite being conscious of the time, “I’d clearly witnessed an attack and I had some obligations around that.”

Another woman also told the court she stopped to help when she was driving slowly past in an Uber and heard a woman “screaming intensely”.

She said she then saw a man – allegedly Williams – running away.

The woman waited with the alleged victim until police arrived, the court heard, moving her to a warmer location as she was starting to shiver.

‘NO PROOF OF SEXUAL OFFENCE’

Williams pleaded guilty to his charge of common assault but not guilty to intent to commit a sexual act without consent.

His lawyer Rosalind Avis said there was no evidence her client intended to commit a sexual offence.

“The facts are not disputed based on the evidence,” she said.

“This trial is in regard to a legal issue – whether there is sufficient evidence that there was intent to commit a sexual offence.

“The defence say there is insufficient evidence to prove that beyond reasonable doubt, and that there are alternative reasonable inferences that are open.”

She said it was not beyond reasonable doubt that the attack was an attempted robbery or had another motive.

“There is no pulling at her clothing,” she said.

“There’s no attempt to remove her clothing.

“There’s no attempt to kiss her.”

The prosecutor argued it “strains credulity” to think Williams’ purpose was anything other than to force the victim into a sexual act.

“(He) had a clear opportunity to grab (her) bag off her shoulders — he reaches right past the bag and instead grabs (her) around her neck and immediately places her in a headlock,” she said.

Williams handed himself in, accompanied by his grandfather, at Broadmeadows police station after sections of the CCTV footage were distributed through the media.

He remained on the Westmeadows Tigers line-up as of 2019, with the 2020 season suspended due to COVID-19.

The judge-alone trial continues.