BRUTAL PARK RAPE

COURT SHOWN GRAPHIC 20-MINUTE FOOTAGE OF SEXUAL ASSAULT

A JURY has sat through 20 minutes of horrific vision of a visually impaired and intoxicated woman allegedly being raped in a South Townsville park.

As the jury watched the footage, a jury member was visibly emotional, periodically turning her eyes away from the vision.

Leroy Williams is on trial in the Townsville District Court, where he pleaded not guilty yesterday to one count of rape and two counts of attempted rape.

Crown prosecutor Siobhan Harrison said the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was allegedly raped in Dean Park at South Townsville on the evening of May 28 last year.

The court heard the woman had been waiting for a bus before the incident.

A JURY has sat through 20 minutes of disturbing vision of a visually impaired and intoxicated woman allegedly being raped in a South Townsville park.

Leroy Williams is on trial in the Townsville District Court, where he pleaded not guilty to one count of rape and two counts of attempted rape.

Crown prosecutor Siobhan Harrison said the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was allegedly raped in Dean Park, South Townsville in the evening of May 28 last year. The court heard the woman had been waiting for a bus before the incident.

The prosecution alleges Williams orally raped the woman and attempted to vaginally and anally rape her.

Ms Harrison told the court the incident had been captured on a Townsville City Council CCTV camera. Footage was played for the court.

“Unlike a lot of matters before this court, it has been captured on CCTV footage within the park,” she said.

“A male approached her, he began touching her and, in her words, he was touching her like she was his girlfriend. He tried to pull her pants down, she resisted. He punched her and he scratched her face.”

The jury watched 20 minutes of footage of a man climbing on top of the woman and draping a white blanket over the top of them.

During the footage a man can be seen on top of the woman on the grass before she is punched in the face.

As the woman lies back down on the grass, a man is seen to lie next to her and drape the blanket over their bodies.

As the jury watched the footage, one jury member was visibly emotional, periodically turning her eyes away.

Ms Harrison told the court the woman was an “unsophisticated witness”. “She has severe impairments to her vision and she was intoxicated at the time of the incident,” she said.

“She will give evidence that this incident occurred, but she is unable to identify her attacker.”

Lead investigator Detective Acting Sergeant Michelle Harris told the court the council informed her of the footage’s existence on June 1 last year.

A statement was taken from the woman on July 18 and further CCTV camera footage was obtained from a nearby drop-in centre.

Defence barrister Michael Hibble asked Ms Harris when she first received a complaint about the incident. Sergeant Harris replied, “On July 18.”

The court was closed while the alleged victim gave evidence.

The trial will continue today.