John Jarratt accuser worried about telling cops

The wife of actor John Jarratt says the woman who has accused him of rape previously phoned her and confided she and he had “cheated” together on her, a jury has been told.

Australian actor John Jarratt arrives court today. Picture: AAP

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The wife of actor John Jarratt says the woman who has accused him of rape previously phoned her and confided she and he had “cheated” together on her, a jury has been told.

The actor is on trial in the Downing Centre District Court and has pleaded not guilty to raping the then-19-year-old, who cannot be named, in a Randwick share house in the mid-1970s.

The woman previously told the court Jarratt, now 66, entered her bedroom late at night and raped her while repeatedly whispering she was just like his wife, Rosa Miano, but with blonde hair.

In court on Tuesday Ms Miano, a former hairdresser, said that after she had split up with Jarratt in the mid-1980s the woman phoned her in 1990 and said her and Jarratt had “cheated”.

“I was divorced at that stage and raising two children and support wasn’t coming in like it should (have),” Ms Miano said.

Actor John Jarratt denies the rape charge. Picture: AAP

“I was a little angry, quite a lot angry and and I suppose how the conversation was going she thought she’d be able to share”.

Ms Miano claimed the woman said: “John had cheated on me with her”.

“I didn’t disclose how painful it was to hear it again after everything,” Ms Miano said.

“I can’t’ remember how the conversation ended, but I just know how I felt after the conversation ended – after that point I felt I wouldn’t be able to have (any) contact with (the woman).”

Jarratt says his encounter with the woman in the Randwick house was consensual.

Ms Miano said she already knew about the incident when Jarratt himself had confided to her about it before 1990.

“There was a confession … about his infidelity with (the woman),” she said.

“That he had slept (with her) at Randwick when I was asleep.”

The court was also told the woman spoke to Sarah Monahan, who was on the TV show Hey Dad! with Robert Hughes, who was later convicted of sexually abusing her.

Through her, she spoke to two reporters, but she denied defence barrister Greg James’ suggestion she had expected to receive publicity and notoriety.

He said she gave Ms Monahan “the salacious details”, which were passed on to the journalists before she ever went to police.

“You thought you could manipulate the police into charging John Jarratt,” the QC said.

“No,” the woman replied.

The trial is continuing.

Originally published as John Jarratt accuser worried about telling cops