A former personal assistant testified in a Melbourne court that the complainant in a high-profile rape trial stated her intention was to "ruin" the businessman accused of the crimes and that she had legal assistance from Grace Tame's team.
The witness, who worked for the businessman between August 2021 and April 2022, provided evidence after the man pleaded not guilty to two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. The alleged offenses occurred in March 2023, involving cocaine and alcohol, which the accused denies.
The court heard that the complainant had initially assisted the witness in securing her role with the accused. Their relationship soured when the complainant, according to the witness, contacted the accused about the witness's position. The witness described this as confusing, and later, during a dinner at The Corner Hotel, the complainant allegedly had an "outburst" when the witness declined to meet the businessman.
"She said, 'My mum is a psychologist. I'm going to call her right now, put her on loudspeaker," the witness recounted. "They told me I was being selfish." The complainant also reportedly stated that her studies would allow her to gain connections through the accused. The witness found this "ridiculous," emphasizing her concern for her career and the complainant's actions behind her back.
The witness testified that the complainant later sent her numerous messages, some of which expressed a lack of respect for the witness "backing out" of a deal and inquired about reconciling their friendship. The witness stated she had blocked the complainant and did not respond to these messages.
In April 2023, a Victoria Police detective contacted the witness, who informed the officer that there was never any inappropriate conduct in the accused man's workplace.
The jury also heard from a family member of the complainant, who, according to the witness, stated that the complainant had "six legal teams, including Grace Tame's legal team, working with her" and planned to "take [the accused man] for all he was worth."
Under cross-examination, the witness denied ever feeling unsafe around her former employer and refuted the complainant's claim of a video showing the accused "yelling at people at the workplace." The witness characterized the complainant's behavior as "typical" and "strange things like that," particularly when alcohol was involved.
Additional testimony included a developer who hosted the accused and complainant for an AFL game on March 23, 2023. He noted the complainant consumed a significant amount of alcohol and placed her hand on the accused's thigh, an action he described as a "public display of affection," while the accused showed "no reaction." The developer also stated the accused appeared to be falling asleep and had to be nudged before driving them both home.
A police officer who attended the accused's home around 3:45 a.m. on March 24, 2023, testified that the complainant appeared "substance-affected" and intoxicated, citing her dull eyes and a "slight sway" as she spoke, while holding an open bottle of beer.
The trial is ongoing.