Bryce Eishold
Audio of a woman raped inside her family home has been played in court as the man accused of the alleged assault was this week remanded in custody.
The man, 32, whose name cannot be revealed, sat in the dock during the 11-minute clip recorded by the woman – his former partner – after fearing she was going to be raped, police said.
The accused faces 61 charges varying from sexual penetration, rape, unlawful assault, breaching a family violence intervention order, property damage and stalking.
She can be heard during the recording pleading with the man countless times to “get off me”, and “why do you do this all the time – you’re a f******g sicko”.
Police told the court she could be heard asking the accused on 76 separate occasions to stop the alleged assault.
Earlier, Tyler Tipping & Woods defence solicitor Aman Dosanjh applied to have the bail application heard in a closed court, after expressing her concerns the man’s identity could be revealed.
However, Magistrate Gregory McNamara said the court would remain open after hearing a submission by The Express stating the matter was in the public’s interest.
Detective Senior Constable Daniel Quine told the court the offending happened on multiple occasions between March 2017 and January 2018 – including while the couple’s children were inside the house.
The Express has not revealed the location of the alleged offending in an attempt to protect the identity of the woman.
The accused and complainant were separated but living together at the time the assaults took place, police said.
During the recording, a child can be heard entering the room while the woman is being allegedly raped.
The court heard how the woman on several occasions was blackmailed into providing the accused with sex in order to pay for utility bills – and in one case to obtain a child’s birth certificate.
Police told the court the accused used controlling behaviours, including verbal and economic abuse, and stalked the complainant – breaching a family violence order dating back to 2014.
In a statement to police read in court, the complainant said “[the accused] knew I had no other options, but [he continued] to do those things to me … it had bad effects of my low self-esteem”.
The accused previously faced the Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court on July 8 for a bail application after he was charged and extradited from Queensland.
That application was also refused.
Ms Dosanjh argued the accused should be granted bail given his potential employment opportunities in the Latrobe Valley under the condition he would live with his mother and her partner.
The defence solicitor said the accused intended to “contest all of the charges that are laid against him”.
The accused’s mother was present during the application and gave a statement under oath and said “I would ring the police straight away” if her accused bailed to comply with the proposal curfew.
However, police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Louise Gerrard argued the man could endanger the safety of the witnesses – including the woman – and could be a flight risk given his contacts interstate.
Magistrate McNamara said the accused failed to show compelling reasons for his release given he posed an unacceptable risk to the community and could endanger the safety or welfare of witnesses.
The man will return to court for a committal mention on October 4.
