Three NSW men convicted of gang raping teenagers during bucks party successfully overturn convictions | New South Wales


Two men jailed for gang raping three teenagers during a bucks party weekend will face a retrial and a third has been acquitted after winning appeals against their convictions.

Maurice Hawell, 31, his younger brother Marius, 24, and Andrew David, 31, were all found guilty of sexually assaulting three women in 2024 after a joint trial lasting almost four weeks.

All three men appealed against their convictions, arguing the trial judge had made a number of errors in her directions to the jury and the verdicts were unreasonable.

The appeal was upheld by the court of criminal appeal on Monday, with the panel of judges quashing the convictions for all three.

Sign up: AU Breaking News email

Justice Belinda Rigg ordered Maurice Hawell and David face a retrial in the New South Wales district court.

The convictions against Marius Hawell were dismissed and verdicts of acquittal entered in their place.

Maurice Hawell had been jailed for 14 years, David for 13 years and Marius nine years.

During the appeal in August, the men’s lawyers claimed the jury may have been led to misinterpret the trio’s state of mind over the weekend of offending.

Tim Game SC said the evidence may have been misconstrued as a “shared job” or a “job for the lot” when considered all together for each man, leading to an unreasonable verdict.

“It has a sinister element because it turns consensual sex into the threat of non-consensual sex and there’s absolutely nothing to support that proposition,” David’s barrister said.

skip past newsletter promotion

David and Maurice Hawell will return to the NSW district court on 12 December.

Maurice’s younger brother can be immediately released from prison.

Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse is available from the following organisations. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html



Source link

  • Related Posts

    Prosecutor calls for conflict of interest rules after coworkers handled case in which he was a victim

    Tim O’Brien has made peace with the fact that the woman who falsely accused him of sexual assault will never see the inside of a jail cell. But he’s not…

    Bill Maher to receive Kennedy Center’s Mark Twain prize after White House denial | Bill Maher

    Bill Maher will win the prestigious Mark Twain prize for American humor, the Kennedy Center said Thursday, less than a week after the White House forcefully denied that the comedian,…

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    You Missed

    Rahul Chahar: Surrey sign leg spinner for final eight County Championship games

    Rahul Chahar: Surrey sign leg spinner for final eight County Championship games

    Florida congresswoman faces a rare public hearing on ethics charges. Threat of expulsion vote looms

    Florida congresswoman faces a rare public hearing on ethics charges. Threat of expulsion vote looms

    How to hedge investments against stock market volatility

    Prosecutor calls for conflict of interest rules after coworkers handled case in which he was a victim

    Prosecutor calls for conflict of interest rules after coworkers handled case in which he was a victim

    Our favorite Apple tech is cheaper during Amazon’s Big Spring Sale

    Our favorite Apple tech is cheaper during Amazon’s Big Spring Sale

    Military KC-46A Tanker Rips Up 25 Foot Section Of Airport Tarmac

    Military KC-46A Tanker Rips Up 25 Foot Section Of Airport Tarmac