Woman ‘begged for sex’ with judge Gregory Geason days after alleged assault

Two days after an alleged assault the fiancee of a Supreme Court judge emerged from their shared bedroom naked, touched his genitals and said ‘come back to bed’, court hears.

Justice Gregory Geason leaves Hobart Magistrates Court. Picture: Linda Higginson.

A woman “begged” for sex with her fiance – a Supreme Court judge – two days after alleging he beat her, a court has heard.

The woman has given evidence that Tasmanian Supreme Court judge Gregory Geason on October 31 2023 struck her up to eight times on the chest and caused her to fall, injuring her head.

However, during Justice Geason’s trial in the Hobart Magistrates Court on Wednesday, defence counsel Tom Percy KC put it to the woman that there was no hitting, that she was drunk and had stumbled; something she rejected.

Mr Percy put it to her that on the morning two days after the alleged assault she emerged from their shared bedroom naked, touched Justice Geason’s genitals and “begged” him to ‘come back to bed’. “No,” she replied.

Counsel then put it to her that Justice Geason had replied that he had to go to the gym but they could go back to bed when he returned. “I can’t recall that at all,” she said.

Mr Percy put it to her that when Justice Geason returned from the gym later that morning, they went back to bed together and “made love for about 20 minutes”.

The woman, who has told the court she was concussed and “traumatised” in the days after the alleged assault, said she could not recall that occurring.

Justice Geason, who is on leave pending the legal proceedings, has pleaded not guilty to one count of common assault and one count of emotional abuse or intimidation.

Supreme Court judge Gregory Geason during a past sitting. Picture: Sam Rosewarne

The woman earlier agreed that the day after the alleged assault she had sent a number of text messages to Justice Geason in which she expressed love for him.

She agreed she had also sent several that were jovial in tone, including one joking about wearing a wig the two used as part of a regular “dress up routine”.

However, she told the court she was at this time “terrified” of Justice Geason, still concussed, and was trying to avoid another confrontation while she worked out how to leave him.

The woman has given evidence that during the alleged altercation on October 31, Justice Geason grabbed her upper harms “really, really tightly”, before punching her in the chest and pushing her, causing her to hit her head on a mantelpiece.

Mr Percy put it to her that the arm holding had been akin to holding someone before drawing them for a “cuddle”. “No,” the woman replied.

“There was never any punching or hitting that night,” Mr Percy then put to her. “That’s not correct,” she replied, adding that Justice Geason had been “in a rage”.

Mr Percy suggested she had learned over a sitting Justice Geason, who had put his hand up to stop her getting closer. “I don’t recall that,” she replied.

He put to her that she had stumbled and fallen heavily, hitting her head on a table. “No, that didn’t happen,” she said.

The court has heard Justice Geason, 63, insists that he at no time deliberately struck or injured the woman, aged in her mid-40s, and that the two had a “whirlwind” relationship for about six months in 2023.

The trial continues before Victorian Deputy Chief Magistrate Susan Wakeling, flown in to preside because Justice Geason, a judge since 2017, is known to local magistrates.