Canberra public servant found guilty of sexually assaulting colleague after Christmas party

The first jury to return a majority verdict in the ACT has found a 30-year-old Canberra public servant guilty of sexually assaulting a colleague after a Christmas party.

The man was accused of committing an indecent act and rape.

The evidence included CCTV footage of him touching the victim’s breasts in a bar after the party.

He claimed the woman invited him to touch her breasts following an argument about double standards for men and women and that he did so to help her “self-esteem”.

He told the court he asked the woman if she wanted him to touch her breasts and she said “go ahead”.

He claimed the woman said: “Look, nothing is happening.”

The prosecution objected to her testimony, arguing that it was not her reaction after he touched her breasts.

“That’s what he said,” the man replied.

Victim says he was attacked while driving

The second rape charge related to an incident when the woman gave him a ride home.

The woman said he bent over and put his hands under her dress as she walked towards the lights next to the ABC building on Northbourne Avenue.

The woman said this caused her to swerve.

However, the man claimed the victim was drunk to explain why he turned the car around.

She denied putting his hand up her skirt but admitted jumping over her car.

“I took a vape off his lap,” he said.

Her attorney, Jason Moffett, told the jury her main argument was that the victim consented to touching her breasts as seen in the video and that the alleged sexual assault never occurred.

After telling the court he was not drunk, Mr Moffett told the jury the victim’s credibility had to be taken into account, but there was evidence he had taken a large number of drinks.

“He made a conscious effort to minimize the number of drinks he had on duty,” Mr Moffett said.

Unanimous decision is a first for ACT

It took the jury a week to reach its verdict.

The verdict was unanimous on the charge of indecent conduct.

However, the verdict on the sexual assault charge was 11 to 1.

Until recently jury decisions in the ACT had to be unanimous.

The law was changed earlier this year to prevent hung juries and long delays for justice.

There are also new laws that impose penalties on jurors who do not follow instructions.

The man was released on bail ahead of sentencing next year.