‘Herd mentality’: Bucks party rapists jailed

WARNING: Graphic content

Three men have been jailed for the “humiliating and disgusting” rape of three “horrified” teenagers at a cash party in Newcastle at the weekend, with a judge describing them as having acted with a “herd mentality”.

Maurice Hawell, 30, Andrew David, 30, and Marius Hawell, 23, were sentenced in Downing Center District Court on Friday morning after being found guilty of sexually assaulting three women at a rented Airbnb in February 2022. Celebrate Maurice’s upcoming wedding.

The rented house turned into a terrible nightmare for two 18-year-old friends and a 19-year-old girl, who were gang-raped by men for two nights.

The Hawell brothers and David were convicted of a joint criminal enterprise to sexually assault women in July after a weeks-long trial in the NSW District Court.

Judge Gina O’Rourke described their actions as “degrading and disgusting” and said they treated one victim “as if she were an object to be sexually abused”.

The court heard female family members and loved ones submitted character references in support of all three offenders.

Maurice Hawell’s wife has said that despite his infidelity that weekend, she did not think he was capable of “monstrously” raping three women.

The court was told David’s fiancée and his sister wrote letters saying David had “deep respect for women” and “always treated women with dignity”.

And Judge O’Rourke said his actions that weekend were “completely at odds with how their mother, wife, girlfriend and sister described themselves.”

Judge O’Rourke said there was evidence that they were all: “All highly educated, intelligent, successful young men from loving, Christian families who treated their own mothers, their sisters, their female partners with respect and affection.”

“Yet this weekend, with a herd mentality, we were able to treat three young women in such a cold, callous, degrading and criminal way,” he said.

“Also attending breakfast every morning where a group of men attending this man’s party bragged about having sex with the women attending the apartment.”

The court was previously told that traumatic gang rapes had a devastating impact on young victims.

The 19-year-old victim revealed she was “scared to face the world” after being sexually assaulted by Maurice and David while Marius watched.

She told the court she “felt vulnerable”, had “panic attacks” and was “unable to leave my house on her own” in the months that followed.

“I felt like I was losing myself deeply,” the young man said with an emotional expression.

The jury was told Maurice used a fake name when he brought the woman back to the Airbnb with the promise of a drink beforehand.

According to the court, the 19-year-old texted a friend and reported that he had been “kidnapped” and asked for “help” while he was being taken upstairs.

Instead of giving her a drink, Maurice took her to his bedroom and asked her to have a threesome with him and David.

She refused, but said this did not stop Maurice from raping her, kneeling on David’s shoulders and forcing his penis into her mouth.

The court was told that while Maurice and David were switching places, Marius entered the room and turned on his phone’s flashlight.

The 19-year-old victim said he then put his trousers on backwards and “sobbed” in his haste to leave the house.

She told the court she blamed herself for the “traumatic” gang rape and spent countless sleepless nights wondering what she could have done differently to prevent it.

One of two 18-year-old women who were gang raped by men the night before has revealed that the attack caused a “huge emotional loss” in every aspect of her life.

“This incident made me trust the people around me,” he said in a statement.

“I couldn’t trust any man… it’s unfair that I have to regain my trust in people.”

During the trial, jurors heard that Maurice tried to sexually touch one of the 18-year-old teenagers who was at the Airbnb on Friday night.

“I don’t want this,” she recalled telling her future son-in-law.

The two 18-year-olds then went to the bedroom to retrieve their phones as they prepared to leave, but when the lights were turned off they were pinned to the bed and sexually assaulted.

One of the victims said she was raped by a man she could not see, while another man knelt over her arms and thrust his penis into her mouth.

Another 18-year-old also said he was pressured and sexually assaulted.

Although none of the teenagers could see the attackers, jurors found that David, Maurice and Marius were responsible for all three gang rapes.

Maurice Hawell was sentenced to a maximum of 14 years in prison, with a non-parole period of eight years and six months.

He will be eligible for release in January 2033.

Marius Hawell was sentenced to nine years in prison with a non-parole period of five years and five months.

David was sentenced to 13 years in prison and will be eligible for parole in April 2032 after serving seven years and nine months in prison.

The men continue to maintain their innocence and have shown no remorse for their victims.

Maurice and David maintain that the sexual activity was consensual, while Marius maintains that Bucks did not participate in any sex acts throughout the weekend.

All three men have already indicated they intend to appeal their convictions.