Delays to sentence in horror rape case

ANOTHER delay in the trial of four cousins aged in their 30s and 40s found guilty of the horrific gang rape of a 16-yearold girl in a cane paddock north of Cairns in late 2017 will see the judge announce their sentencing later this month.

On Friday, at Cairns District Court, Judge Vicki Loury QC said Aaron Anau, Jeffery Tibau Banu, Tom Banu Ingui and Francis Peter would remain in custody ahead of sentencing on October 14 in Brisbane.

Judge Loury heard the lawyers representing the defendants plead for lesser sentences for their part in the rape, which the court heard occurred on December 28, 2017.

However, Crown prosecutor Aaron Dunkerton, who produced 13 exhibits to Judge Loury, disagreed.

“It was successive and degrading conduct against a 16year-old intoxicated girl in an isolated location,” he said.

Judge Loury had sharp words for Mr Dunkerton about the length of documentation and the lack of time to read it.

“I do not have the time to read it or the ability to absorb these,” she said.

“I have no ability to sentence these men today.”

Appearing for Banu, Kelly Goodwin said his client was in shock after his son died.

Joseph Jacobs for Anau, Mr Goodwin for Banu, James Sheridan for Ingui and Rachelle Logan for Peter, asked Judge Loury to not find their client had committed a serious violent offence.

The jury on Thursday found each man not guilty of a fourth count of rape, where the victim was unable to identify her rapist. Anau, Ingui, and Peter were all found to have actually raped the girl, and to have aided each other in doing so.

Jeffery did not rape the girl, but was found guilty of three counts of rape because he aided the other three.