Alleged Hindley St rapist Kallan Ford loses bail review in Supreme Court

A businessman who allegedly raped an unconscious woman on Hindley St in Adelaide’s CBD has lost his bid for freedom.

The Victorian general manager of a pipeline company who allegedly raped an unconscious woman on Hindley St was here on a work trip, a court has heard.

Married father Kallan Ford, 38, was determined to be too much of a flight risk to be granted bail after the alleged assault was captured on CCTV footage.

Mr Ford was previously granted bail in the Magistrates Court but the Crown applied to the Supreme Court to have the decision reviewed.

In her ruling for revoking Mr Ford’s bail, Justice Rachael Gray determined his family being financially dependent on him was not enough to outweigh the risk of him absconding.

The court heard the alleged victim, who had consumed around 10 alcoholic drinks, recalled walking to a nearby convenience store on the corner of Morphett and Hindley streets in the early hours of May 22.

Amy Fisher, for the prosecution, said the alleged victim also recalled having nitrous oxide with Mr Ford, whom she had never met, before passing out.

Adelaide’s Hindley Street nightclub strip. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

“She awoke some time later to find the defendant having penetrative-vaginal sexual intercourse with her,” Ms Fisher said.

“She eventually managed to rouse herself and fought back and attacked the defendant, ripping his shirt and then dragging him down on to Hindley Street where she ultimately flagged down some police who were patrolling the area at 7.37am that morning.”

Ms Fisher said the alleged incident was captured on CCTV footage, which showed the alleged victim “entirely unconscious and therefore incapable of consenting to any sexual acts”.

“The defendant can then be seen moving very slowly and carefully, the inference being that he was doing so as not to rouse her,” she said.

The court heard Mr Ford allegedly removed the woman’s pants and underwear before raping her.

Mr Ford, of Plenty in Victoria, is charged with rape and indecent assault. He is yet to enter any pleas.

Justice Gray said Mr Ford did not have any connection to South Australia and had planned to be in Adelaide for only five days while attending a work function.

“The prosecution made submissions that the victim is frightened, that if released, the defendant would seek to contact her,” she said.

The court heard Mr Ford, who resided in Victoria with his wife and four children, was the main breadwinner for their family.

“The family resides in a home, valued at $1.7m with a $1.4m mortgage, with repayments at $9000 a month,” Justice Gray said.

“It was submitted that the family was living week to week due to interest rate rises.

“It was also submitted that as a general manager of a company which employs some 120 people, (Mr Ford’s) continued remand has consequences of causing considerable difficulty to his work colleagues.”

However, Justice Gray revoked Mr Ford’s bail, due to the seriousness of the allegations and the “significant risk” of him failing to answer bail and absconding.

The case was adjourned until August.

Originally published as Alleged Hindley St rapist Kallan Ford loses bail review in Supreme Court