A Melbourne man has been found guilty of raping a former employee. The man, who cannot be named, faced two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault in the county court of Victoria, having pleaded not guilty.
Following a three-week trial, the jury delivered guilty verdicts on all charges on Tuesday, after deliberating since late on Friday morning. The man will be sentenced at a later date.
The court heard the assault took place in March 2023 at the man’s home. The alleged victim, who was the man’s former personal assistant, gave evidence over more than four days in a closed court.
Prosecutor Matthew Fisher told the court the offences occurred after the woman had pushed the man's hands away and said, "I don't want this." The woman subsequently punched the man and told him, "You're a fucking rapist."
Defence counsel Dermot Dann KC argued that the alleged offences never occurred. The judge, Frank Gucciardo, informed the jury that the case was not about consent, as the defence maintained the events did not take place.