Twist in Neighbours star sex assault case
CCTV footage from St Kilda’s Hotel Esplanade relied on by prosecutors in an alleged sexual assault case against model and TV cop Scott McGregor is “selective”, a court has been told.
Ex-Neighbours star McGregor, 41, has denied one charge of sexual assault that prosecutors allege occurred at about 8pm at the iconic beachside pub on February 20.
In the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, barrister Carly Marcs, who is representing Mr McGregor, said that important footage from “The Espy” was “incomplete”, including footage that showed the incident from behind and below the waistline.
“There are obviously other cameras that exist,” Ms Marcs said,
She said the defence did not have “satisfactory explanations as to why all of the footage was not there”.
Ms Marcs said the existence of other camera footage from the venue of the night of the alleged incident, including the time leading up to it, would “assist our case”.
She said current footage showed Mr McGregor facing forward at the bar, whereas footage from the rear “would have captured what happened”.
Ms Marcs also mentioned an email the complainant sent to police shortly after the incident that she said concerned providing information to her university administrators as a result of failed subjects.
After a brief conversation between Ms Marcs and the prosecutor, the latter told the court that police returned to the Hotel Esplanade, but the footage that would have captured the alleged incident from behind was “now unavailable”.
At the beginning of the hearing, Ms Marcs also flagged to the court that there would be an issue as to whether the touching was “sexual for the purposes of the legislation”.
The court was that Mr McGregor, who appeared in a blazer via a video link, was in regional Victoria.
Magistrate Belinda Franjic adjourned the matter to July 14 for a special mention, with a two-day contested hearing scheduled for August.
