Melbourne: High-profile businessman seeks suppression order after guilty rape verdicts

Lawyers acting for a high-profile rapist will argue his name should remain suppressed on mental health grounds.

Last Tuesday, a 12-person jury found the man had sexually assaulted and raped a woman decades his junior after a night spent drinking and consuming cocaine in 2023.

News organisations have been barred from publishing material that could identify the man by a series of suppression orders over the past three years.

These orders, made after judicial officers were satisfied there was a high risk of psychological harm to the man if he was named, were set to expire at the end of his trial.

But following last week’s verdict, defence barrister Dermot Dann KC requested, and was granted, a temporary order continuing to suppress identifying details to allow him to prepare evidence and arguments for why his client should remain unidentified.

This, he said last week, would include new evidence from the man’s psychiatrist.

A hearing on the suppression order is expected to be held in the County Court of Victoria on Monday.

Media organisations intend to challenge the suppression order and prosecutors have previously flagged they will oppose it.

During the trial, jurors heard the man and woman met at his home to discuss work opportunities in early 2023.

After the meeting, the pair began drinking and consuming cocaine, and the woman said she became emotional and confided in him about a relationship breakdown.

She said the man hugged her and said he would “take care of her” before kissing her and sexually touching her.

Prosecutor Matthew Fisher told the court the woman pushed him away, saying “I don’t want this”, while the man replied with words to the effect of “you’re so sexy” and “I can’t stop”.

While the woman was crying into a pillow, the man reached down her pants and penetrated her with his fingers.

He then took off his pants and raped her with his penis before she punched him in the face.

At the end of the trial, Mr Fisher said while there had been gaps and inconsistencies in the woman’s account, she was “consistent and adamant” about what had happened.

Mr Dann told the jury his client vehemently denied much of the woman’s account, from the use of cocaine to prior sexual advances and the sexual assaults.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 her cousin “I’m going to take this man for all that he’s worth”.

His legal team have flagged they are considering appealing the verdicts.

A presentence hearing is expected to run later this month.

If you or someone you know needs help, contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732), or Sexual Assault Counselling Australia on 1800 211 028, the WA Sexual Assault Resource Centre on 6458 1828 or 1800 199 888 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.