Policemen on charges over Meblourne rape claim

A WOMAN who fled her home to escape her violent father was allegedly raped  by two policeman  in the aftermath of the Black Saturday fires

A WOMAN who fled her home to escape her violent father was allegedly raped and indecently assaulted by two South Australian policeman who were in Victoria to help in the aftermath of the Black Saturday fires.

The Melbourne Magistrates Court yesterday heard the attack happened at a hotel where a charity organisation had arranged emergency accommodation for the 20-year-old and, coincidently, where the 50-strong contingent of South Australian police officers were staying.

Damien Wilmott, 30, and Steven Westcott, 40, were two tactical response officers temporarily sworn in as special constables to help local police in disaster recovery and were staying the Dorset Gardens Hotel, in Melbourne's outer eastern suburbs.

Prosecutor Ray Gibson told the committal hearing that Mr Wilmott and Mr Westcott had been taken on a tour of fire-ravaged areas on March 10 before having a barbecue and function at the Mooroolbark Bowls Club to mark the end of their tour of duty.

He said the pair had been drinking and returned to the hotel for more alcohol before socialising with two female staff from the hotel. The two girls went up to the pair's rooms, where they drank more and dressed up in the policemen's uniforms and took photographs, then decided to leave.

Mr Wilmott and Mr Westcott, both married with two children, then allegedly went to the 20-year-old's room and asked her if she wanted some Jim Beam. When she said no, they left.

The court heard Mr Wilmott knocked on her door a couple of hours later. The 20-year-old had seen the pair in their police uniforms as they were coming and going on shifts to fire-ravaged areas.

"The guy then said, `Can I come in and we can have some fun, or I can just leave' and I told him that I would prefer if he just left and went back to his own room," the woman said in her witness statement tendered to the court. "I kept asking him to leave . . . I then went to close the door on him. He then grabbed the door and pushed it open. He used quite a bit of force because . . . I stumbled backwards."

Mr Gibson said Mr Wilmott had stripped, told the 20-year-old "his crew" had been talking about her and he knew "she wanted it", before he pushed her on the bed and digitally raped her for half an hour.

The court was told Mr Westcott heard noises from the complainant's room and knocked on the door and the 20-year-old cried louder to get Mr Westcott's attention but Mr Wilmott tried to stop her, using the left corner of a pillow to cover her mouth.

Mr Wilmott is charged with rape and indecent assault and Mr Westcott faces charges of indecent assault.

The committal hearing continues today.