Wayne Robert Green: Mondure farmer accused of rape, weapons offences

A South Burnett farmer awaiting trial for allegedly raping a British backpacker will face trial for separate weapons offences after a magistrate grew tired of constant adjournments.

A South Burnett farmer awaiting trial accused of raping a backpacker on his farm has returned to court on further weapons charges.

Wayne Robert Green, 51, is facing charges of possessing dangerous drugs, failing to secure weapons and not having authority to possess explosives.

The Mondure crop farmer is also facing charges of rape, sexual assault and deceptive recruiting after he allegedly raped a young woman when she worked on his farm in early 2017 as part of her government requirement to extend her visa.

Green has indicated he will plead not guilty when the matter is expected to go to trial in Kingaroy District Court in February.

Mr Green was in February committed to stand trial for the rape allegations.

Magistrate Louisa Pink said during the committal hearing the court heard evidence the young woman from the United Kingdom had arrived at the farm in early 2017 and felt “stranded and isolated”, “vulnerable” and insecure in her employment, claiming Green was critical of her work and described her as “useless” and “easily replaceable”.

Magistrate Pink said the woman alleged that on her ninth or 10th day at the farm, the other workers had gone out leaving her and Green at the property alone, and Green had told the woman to give him oral sex.

Mondure crop farmer Wayne Green. File Photo.

Mr Green did not appear in person in Murgon Magistrates Court this week, with his lawyer Tom Carr appearing via phone.

Mr Carr told the court the weapons charges had previously been adjourned to follow the rape trial, and asked magistrate Andrew Sinclair to again adjourn the case to March.

He told the court it was likely the weapons charges would also go to trial.

Mr Sinclair refused however, noting the matters were unrelated.

“They don’t seem directly related … They should have been completed two years ago,” he said.

“Should never have been adjourned.”

The magistrate adjourned the case for review on January 4 and for trial on February 14.

Originally published as Wayne Robert Green: Mondure farmer accused of rape, weapons offences