Dad acquitted on two counts of raping daughter, jury deadlocked on another six counts

AN NT father accused of repeatedly raping his young daughter has been found not guilty on two counts, while a jury was unable to reach a verdict on a further six counts

A father accused of repeatedly raping his young daughter has been found not guilty on two counts, while a jury was unable to reach a verdict on a further six counts

• NT man faces trial for allegedly repeatedly raping, violently assaulting young daughter
• Rape trial hears family on both sides pressured daughter to accuse dad then recant
• Man accused of raping young daughter ‘the unluckiest man in the world’, prosecutor says

AN NT father accused of repeatedly raping his young daughter has been found not guilty on two counts, while a jury was unable to reach a verdict on a further six counts.

The man, who cannot be named to protect the identify of his daughter, faced a trial in the Supreme Court after pleading not guilty to the rapes along with two other counts of aggravated assault.

Jurors also acquitted the man on the assault charges, which were alleged to have involved kicking her and hitting her with a broom and an extension cord.

Crown prosecutor Matt Nathan SC had told the jury the 37-year-old was either “the unluckiest man in the world” or a serial rapist after he gave evidence explaining that his semen had ended up on a shirt in the girl’s room after he masturbated with it when no one else was home.

“According to him, the shirt that he used on a random occasion, years ago, as part of an unused pile of washing to be thrown out, is dumped then picked up by the complainant or first perhaps by his stepdaughter, then by the complainant, then placed in her room only to be seized by police,” he said.

“You think about the connection and the series of circumstances, the alignment of the planets that needs to occur for all of those things to fall in place and for that shirt with his semen to end up in front of (police).

“What I’ll be suggesting to you is that that is a clear fabrication, that that is a clear lie by the accused because he knew if he told the truth about how his semen ended up on his daughter’s shirt he’d be found guilty.”

But in his evidence, the accused man denied ever touching his daughter inappropriately, telling jurors “this is my life on the line over allegations that are not true”.

“If I was guilty for this I’m pretty sure I’d just stand up — not pretty sure, I’m sure — I would never put my family through this,” he said.

“This thing that’s been put against me is total lies, I’ve never done anything of the kind to a member of my family, especially my daughter.”

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The jury returned its majority verdicts on Thursday after just over two days of deliberations and the remaining charges will now be listed for retrial at a later date.

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