The rape trial of a tradie has begun as a jury was told he denied the allegation but did not dispute there was consensual sexual touching.
Lachlan Young, 24, is facing trial in the Melbourne County Court accused of raping a teenage girl after a night spent socialising in a Ballarat backyard in February 2024.
He has pleaded not guilty and the trial is expected to run for seven days.
Outlining the Crown’s case, prosecutor Andrew Buckland said Mr Young met the complainant, a 16-year-old girl visiting Ballarat from elsewhere in Victoria, for the first time at a friend’s house.
Throughout the night, he said, the accused and the teenage girl chatted, with the pair adding each other on Snapchat.
Mr Buckland said Mr Young allegedly propositioned the girl, asking “if she wanted to do things”, to which she responded “no”.
It’s alleged the girl went inside the home to rest, but they continued to message via Snapchat.
About 3am on February 5, Mr Buckland alleged, the pair met up in the backyard for consensual sexual activity, but the girl allegedly told Mr Young she did not want to have penetrative sex.
It’s alleged that despite the refusal, Mr Young raped the girl for two to three minutes while she “just kind of froze up and did not know what to do”.
“You should probably go back inside before people start looking for you,” he allegedly told her.
The following morning, Mr Buckland alleged, the girl disclosed to a friend what had happened and later received a Snapchat from Mr Young asking if she had told the friend – which she denied.
“Well, we didn’t do much anyway,” he allegedly responded.
Mr Buckland detailed Snapchat messages between the pair six days later, including the girl allegedly asking if he told his friend “about the night you f–ked me?”
“What are you on about?” Mr Young allegedly responded.
“You’re pathetic Lachie you literally f–ked me even though I said no.”
The jury was told the girl disclosed the alleged rape to a school wellbeing counsellor in March 2024 who then notified police.
In response, Glenn Casement, for Mr Young, pointed to the “what are you on about” message, questioning if it was a response to a false allegation.
He told the jury the primary legal question was whether his client and the complainant had penetrative sex.
“Whatever else went on, sexual penetration of that kind is denied in the brief time they were in the backyard,” he said.
Mr Casement said the alleged victim’s credibility and reliability was “utterly central” to the case and urged jurors to scrutinise her evidence.
“Are you going to find the complainant changes her version of events about the accused depending on who she talks to?” he asked.
Are you going to be deeply troubled with the complainant’s credibility owing to the major differences in her account?”
The trial, before Judge Caitlin English, continues.