Judge Gregory Geason says fiance-turned-accuser quizzed him about ‘hot lawyers’, often initiated lunchbreak sex

Justice Gregory Geason has denied being a controlling, jealous partner, telling a court his fiance-turned-accuser ‘had a thing’ about him potentially being unfaithful and often initiated lunchbreak sex.

Justice Gregory Geason arrives at Hobart Magistrates Court. Picture: Chris Kidd

A judge has denied being a controlling, jealous partner, telling a court his fiance-turned-accuser quizzed him about bedding “hot lawyers” and about “hot juries” and often initiated lunchbreak sex.

Tasmanian Supreme Court Justice Gregory Geason on Friday took to the dock in Hobart’s Magistrates Court, where he has pleaded not guilty to one count of common assault and one of emotional abuse or intimidation.

Justice Geason’s former fiance has told the court he was a jealous, controlling lover, uncomfortable with her having friendships with men and male colleagues.

She alleges that the judge, on October 31, 2023, struck her up to eight times and caused her to fall, injuring her head, after flying into a “rage” when a male colleague sent her a “silly” selfie.

Lawyers for Justice Geason have told the court he did not strike her at all and that she instead stumbled and fell while under the influence of alcohol.

On Friday, Justice Geason, 63, told the court both of them could be “insecure” and the woman, 45, “had a thing” about him potentially being unfaithful.

“We both had that characteristic and … we were both committed to building up that mutual trust,” he said.

He believed the woman, with whom he had a relationship of just over six months in 2023, was conscious that he had started his previous relationship, with his associate, while still married.

“That was part of her concern around lawyers,” he said, telling the court the woman at one point “bet” he had taken “some young lawyer” back to an Airbnb.

On other occasions, during court proceedings at which he was presiding, she had asked him “how hot are the lawyers?” and “is it a hot jury?”.

The woman has suggested to the court that Justice Geason’s “controlling behaviour” extended to expecting her to have lunch with him at his house every day.

Justice Geason told the court the arrangement was mutual, not about him seeking control and that the woman often sought sex.

“(She) liked to have sex at lunch time and … would frequently initiate sex at lunch time,” he said.

“I didn’t always respond to that because my job was stressful … and the mood didn’t feel right … but there were occasions when I went along with it.”

He said his tracking of the woman via Apple devices was mutual and she could have stopped him seeing her location at any time.

His decision to organise joint telecommunications, Spotify and credit card arrangements was to help the woman, not to control her, he said.

While agreeing that his messaging of her might be seen as “excessive”, he told the court they were both “texting like love-struck teenagers”.

He said the woman had been to Alcoholics Anonymous before their relationship, kept an AA book next to her bed, and was sometimes “too drunk to talk” on the phone.

Justice Geason is on leave from Tasmania’s Supreme Court. The trial continues before Victorian Deputy Chief Magistrate Susan Wakeling, flown in to preside because Justice Geason, a judge since late 2016, is known to local magistrates.