Granite Belt man pleads not guilty in Warwick District Court to nine charges related to alleged horror sexual attack on woman

The trial of a man accused of a horrific violent sexual attack on a woman in her living room has begun, with the Crown alleging evidence against the man includes a witness hearing that he’d do it again.

The trial of a man facing nine charges has begun in Warwick District Court, with the man accused of inflicting a horror sexual attack on a woman.

A witness who allegedly overheard a disturbing statement will be a major piece of evidence in the trial of a man accused of a violent sexual attack on a woman in the Granite Belt.

The Granite Belt man pleaded not guilty in Warwick District Court on Tuesday, October 8, to nine charges related to the alleged attack.

The man is facing charges of two counts of rape, two counts of attempted rape, two counts of sexual assault and one charge each of strangulation, suffocation and assault occasioning bodily harm.

Crown prosecutor Luke Smoothy began his opening address by telling the jury the man and the alleged victim had been in a brief relationship leading up to the alleged offending, beginning at the end of 2021.

Mr Smoothy noted in the lead up to the alleged offence date, March 17, 2022, the pair had argued, including one occasion on the day before in which they had “woken up at 4am to argue”.

On March 17, he returned to the Granite Belt address the two lived at, with the woman on the phone to another party.

The Crown alleges the man “touched the thigh of the woman, pinching and digging his nails into her leg”.

After the woman hung up the phone, the pair is alleged to have sat on the couch, when the Granite Belt man “held her down by her hair and pulled her underwear off”.

“Despite resistance, he attempted to rape her,” Mr Smoothy said in his opening address.

“It is around that point where he was trying to do that, he grabbed her by the hair and put her throat in his hand and squeezed, which restricted her breathing.”

The trial of a man accused of a horror sexual attack has begun in Warwick District Court.

The man then allegedly raped the woman in the living room, “despite her pleading not to”.

As the woman struggled and tried to call for help, the man is alleged to have put his hand over her mouth and nose.

The Crown will allege the man began touching her genitalia, before falling asleep.

“(The alleged victim) used that opportunity to go to the bedroom, and about an hour after, she pretended to be asleep and (he) rubbed her vaginal area again,” Mr Smoothy said.

The man then allegedly attempted to orally rape the woman, before allegedly raping her again.

“The woman shortly after called the same party on the phone, and you’ll hear from (the other party) she heard the man say ‘I’m going to rape you again’.”

“He violently raped her upon other things in her lounge and living room,” Mr Smoothy said, summing up the Crown’s case.

The man’s defence barrister, Nathan Edridge reminded the jury that his client had pleaded not guilty to the nine counts of “violence and rape” of his then-partner.

“He does not accept the allegations of violence or non consensual sex,” Mr Edridge said.

“The events did not occur at all.”

The court was closed for the duration of the first day of the trial for the alleged victim to give evidence.

The trial continues under Judge Benedict Power KC, with multiple police officers and health workers expected to give evidence.

Originally published as Granite Belt man pleads not guilty in Warwick District Court to nine charges related to alleged horror sexual attack on woman