‘Hate me’: Texts before sport star alleged rape
A woman who was allegedly sexually assaulted by Wallabies star Kurtley Beale in a bathroom stall of a Bondi bar has been grilled over the state of her relationship.
Mr Beale, 35, is facing a jury trial at Sydney’s Downing Centre Court after pleading not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent and two counts of sexual touching.
Police allege Mr Beale groped a woman’s bottom at the Beach Road bar in Bondi on December 17, 2022, before forcing her into oral sex in a stall in the men’s bathroom.
The 29-year-old woman returned to the stand on Wednesday on the third day of evidence and for heated cross-examination from Mr Beale’s barrister, Margaret Cunneen SC.
Ms Cunneen questioned the woman over her mindset on the night of the alleged incident following an argument between the woman and her fiance that morning.
“You were getting pretty worried about your relationship. You were desperate to try and turn the tables … your relationship was going down the gurgler,” Ms Cuneen said.
“You were leaving on a 9am flight the following morning to see (the fiance’s) family. You didn’t even know if you would see him before you were going to go.”
Hours before arriving at the Bondi bar, the woman texted her fiance “If you hate me what’s the point” and “Do you even still want to marry me?”.
The pair had earlier exchanged a series of curt messages about their plans for the evening in which she urged her partner to join her at a friend’s home.
The woman texted her partner that afternoon: “I would love for you to come.”
He replied a few minutes later with “I’m busy” and when prompted again said “Where mate?”
“I wish I could see you,” the woman went on to say.
Her partner later responded again with “Sorry mate see you Thursday” before she accused him of being “mean”.
Asked later in the evening, and before arriving at the bar, if she should cancel her flight for the following morning, the fiance said: “Up to you, mate. You do you.”
The woman dismissed under cross-examination her own messages about their future marriage and her partner’s replies as being the result of the pair’s intoxication.
In her opening submissions, Ms Cunneen SC told the jury that the bathroom act was “entirely consensual” and there was no criminal touching.
The woman gave evidence throughout Monday and Tuesday in relation to her version of events and text messages she sent to her sister and fiance following the alleged incident.
Under cross=examination, the woman was grilled on claims to her family that Mr Beale followed her into the bathroom, contrary to CCTV footage.
She was also questioned over an argument she admitted to having with her partner the morning of the alleged incident as well as claims Mr Beale had tried to kiss her.
The jury was earlier shown CCTV footage from the night of the alleged incident, including the 4½ minutes the pair spent in the men’s bathroom.
