A well-known businessman’s identity remains suppressed despite a jury finding he raped a woman decades his junior.
The high-profile man was on Tuesday morning found guilty of two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault following a two-week trial in Melbourne.
As the jury delivered guilty verdicts on all charges, the man pushed his body back in his seat and hung his head low with his mouth agape – appearing visibly emotional.
His identity has been covered by suppression orders for more than three years, barring media from publishing details including his name, age and industry.
The suppression order was due to end at the end of his trial; however, his solicitors sought an extension in the trial’s final days.
Returning to court three hours later, the man sat hunched forward with his hands clasped as his barrister Dermot Dann KC argued a temporary suppression order should be in place until a final ruling could be made on whether his identity should remain hidden.
Mr Dann said the previous suppression order was made after a judge was satisfied “to a high degree” that there was an unacceptable risk of psychological harm if the man had his name plastered across the media.
He said a psychologist had found he posed a substantial risk of self harm and experienced anxiety, panic attacks and social withdrawal at the thought of being identified.
“If an interim order is not granted, it destroys the application… his identity will be published and the basis for the application will be destroyed,” Mr Dann said.
“The whole exercise will be pointless.”
The defence barrister also hinted the man may appeal the jury’s verdict.
“We do feel a gross miscarriage of justice has occurred,” he said.
Media lawyer Justin Quill, representing multiple media outlets, opposed the suppression order.
“What has occurred today (the man) has been found guilty… a jury of (the man’s) peers finding him guilty of a very serious criminal offence,” he said.
“Your Honour ought be loath to extend any suppression order any further.”
Judge Frank Gucciardo issued a temporary suppression order until a hearing on the matter could be held next week.
During the trial, jurors were told the man raped a woman in 2023 after they met at his home to discuss work opportunities.
The pair spent the afternoon and evening drinking alcohol and consuming cocaine before the man began to kiss and touch the woman.
Prosecutor Matthew Fisher told the court the woman pushed him away saying, “I don’t want this”, while the man allegedly responded, “You’re so sexy”, “I can’t stop” and “I need your help to sleep, help me”.
He then raped the woman with his fingers and penis before she punched him in the face.
At the end of the trial, Mr Fisher said there had been gaps and inconsistencies in the woman’s account, but she was “consistent and adamant” about what had happened.
“You should accept her as an honest and genuine witness,” he said.
“And accept my argument the accused man took complete advantage of her when she was alone and isolated in his house affected by alcohol and drugs.”
Through Mr Dann, the accused man vehemently disputed the sexual assault or rapes occurred.
He argued the woman had a financial motive to lie, pointing to evidence that she had hired lawyers to pursue a civil claim and told people “I’m going to take this man for all that he’s worth”.
The jury heard the woman first reached out to the accused man via LinkedIn after learning there was a job opportunity at his company.
In the months that followed, he allegedly made a number of sexual advances towards the woman, but she rebuffed him.
“I don’t want that to be the role I play in your life, I’m not sexually attracted to you. I don’t want to have sex with you, the sooner you understand this the better,” she allegedly said.
In 2023, the court was told the pair were in email contact, with the accused man asking her to help him “work on my book”.
The pair met at his home to discuss the role before allegedly beginning to drink alcohol and consume cocaine.
Later, the jury heard, the woman accompanied the man to the home of a friend of his, where they watched an AFL game, before leaving about 10.30pm.
Back at his apartment, the woman said they continued to use cocaine and drink alcohol before the rapes occurred.
The accused man was remanded into custody and will return to court at a later date.
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