A former police constable is accused of raping a 17-year-old girl at a police station in rural New South Wales in 1998, the Downing Centre District Court heard on Monday. David Robert Blackbourne, 56, has been charged with serious offenses, including sexual intercourse without consent, assault with an act of indecency, and misconduct in public office.
The prosecution alleges that the girl, whose identity is protected for legal reasons, visited the police station to borrow a hat for a costume in October 1998. It is alleged that Blackbourne, who was 28 at the time, told her she could not leave and proceeded to kiss her and engage in sexual intercourse without her consent.
The court was also informed of two prior interactions between Blackbourne and the teenager earlier in 1998. In one instance, the prosecution claims Blackbourne and another officer offered the girl and a friend a ride home, but first stopped at the police station where the pair were allegedly offered a confiscated alcoholic drink and given a tour. On another occasion, Blackbourne allegedly picked the girl up from a local pub, placed handcuffs on her, and kissed her without her consent.
Blackbourne was arrested in 2023, following a report made to Victoria Police in 2016 and a subsequent investigation by NSW Police that began five years later.
Defence barrister Matthew Johnston SC has told the jury that Blackbourne strongly disputes all allegations and denies the events as claimed by the prosecution. While acknowledging his client was a police officer at the time, Johnston asserted that Blackbourne denies any sexual intercourse or misconduct.
Johnston urged the jury to carefully consider whether the alleged victim's memories were genuine or potentially influenced by a 2020 phone call with a police officer. Judge Huw Baker SC reminded the jury that the onus remains on the Crown to prove the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt. The trial is ongoing.