Canberra public servant found guilty of sexually assaulting a colleague after a Christmas party

The first jury to return a majority verdict in the ACT has convicted a 30-year-old Canberra civil servant of sexually assaulting a colleague after a Christmas party.

The man was charged with committing an indecent act and rape.

The evidence included CCTV footage of him touching the victim’s breasts in a bar after a party.

He claimed the woman invited him to touch her breasts, which he did to improve her “self-esteem” after a discussion about the double standards between men and women.

He told the court that he asked the woman if she wanted him to touch her breasts and she replied: “Do it.”

He claimed that the woman said, “You see, nothing is happening.”

The prosecutor questioned his story, suggesting that it was not her reaction after he touched her breasts.

“That’s what she said,” the man replied.

The victim claims he was attacked while driving

The second rape charge related to an incident when the woman drove him home.

The woman said he leaned over and put his hands under her dress as she drove towards the lights next to the ABC building on Northbourne Avenue.

The woman stated that this caused her to veer off the road.

However, the man claimed that the victim was drunk to explain why he swerved from the car.

He denied putting his hand up her skirt, although he admitted he attacked her car.

“I grabbed the e-cigarette from her lap,” he said.

His attorney, Jason Moffett, told the jury that his basic allegation is that he had consent to touching the victim’s breasts, as seen in the video, and that the alleged sexual assault never occurred.

Moffett told the jury they should consider the victim’s credibility after she told the court she was not under the influence of alcohol, although there was evidence she had bought several drinks.

“She made a conscious effort to minimize the number of drinks she had at the party,” Moffett said.

Majority verdict first for ACT

The jury took a week to reach a verdict.

There was a unanimous verdict on the obscenity charge.

However, on the sexual assault charge, the verdict was 11 to one.

Until recently, jury verdicts in the ACT had to be unanimous.

The law was changed earlier this year to avoid hung juries and long delays in getting justice.

New regulations have also been introduced imposing penalties on judges who do not follow the instructions.

The man was released on bail ahead of his sentencing next year.