A former doctorate candidate at the Australian National University is accused of "love-bombing" a woman before a "heinous" rape during a picnic. Subscribe now for unlimited access . Login or signup to continue reading $ 0 / $ NaN /year All articles from our website & app The digital version of Today's Paper Breaking news alerts direct to your inbox Interactive Crosswords, Sudoku and Trivia All articles from the other regional websites in your area Continue He is accused of threatening her after the alleged rape, saying "If you become a liability I'm going to shoot or stab you, your parents, and your dog".
"You don't want to be disabled like my ex-wife," he allegedly said. On Friday, jurors in the ACT Supreme Court trial of the 36-year-old man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the alleged victim, retired for deliberations. He has pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual intercourse without consent.
The charges date back to when he was studying a PhD at the university. In his closing address to jurors, prosecutor Trent Hickey said the alleged victim described the relationship as "love-bombing" with about 3200 messages between the pair sent over several weeks. Mr Hickey said one of these messages included the accused man saying he "preferred his partners to be into BDSM".
The alleged victim is said to have told him it made her "uncomfortable", but she wanted to please him so she "played along". "The accused was sexually dominant, sexually assertive, in the relationship," Mr Hickey said. The woman "felt trapped by his behaviour", the prosecutor previously told jurors.
Mr Hickey said the prosecution case was that the man raped the woman two different ways. The accused man denies the acts were not consensual. This was said to have occurred while they were having a picnic along the Cotter River to celebrate his birthday.
The prosecutor told jurors the alleged victim described having an "out-of-body experience" during the acts, and was in pain afterwards. After the alleged rape, the 36-year-old is said to have told the woman he would shoot or stab her if she became "a liability". "[The alleged rape] was so heinous and left her feeling so ashamed it had the .
.. effect of forcing her into silence," Mr Hickey said.
Over the two-week trial, a second woman gave evidence claiming the man had sexually assaulted her, but he has not been charged in relation to the allegation. The prosecution used this evidence to allege a pattern of behaviour. In his closing address, defence lawyer Andrew Tiedt told the jury the sexual acts involving the first alleged victim were consensual and there was "not a skerrick of independent evidence" about the alleged threat.
"[The woman] freely and voluntarily consented to what occurred," Mr Tiedt said. The lawyer claimed a text message, from the alleged victim to the man the evening after the alleged rape, was "flagrantly inconsistent" with the allegations. "I'm in a bit of pain but I think it will settle.
I hope you had a beautiful birthday," the message stated. The defence lawyer argued other text messages sent after the day in question showed "a woman who was eagerly and still enthusiastically pursuing a relationship". The ACT Supreme Court, where the trial is being held.
Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong Giving evidence to the court earlier this week, the accused man said he had gagged the woman with a bandanna during the acts. He stated she had replied "yes" twice when he asked for consent at the time. In response to a question from Mr Hickey, the accused said the alleged victim could reply while gagged because the bandanna "was not tight enough to cut off communication".
The trial before Chief Justice Lucy McCallum continues. Support is available for those who may be distressed. Phone Lifeline 13 11 14; 1800 RESPECT 1800 737 732; Canberra Rape Crisis Centre 6247 2525.
Share Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Email Copy HN Hannah Neale Reporter Hannah is a reporter with The Canberra Times. She is currently covering ACT courts. Hannah started as a journalist with The Southern Highland News and The Goulburn Post before moving to the ACT.
Hannah is a reporter with The Canberra Times. She is currently covering ACT courts. Hannah started as a journalist with The Southern Highland News and The Goulburn Post before moving to the ACT.
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