A court has heard that a woman who accused rugby player Kurtley Beale of rape wrote notes to herself before confronting him with the allegations in a recorded phone call.

During Thursday’s court hearing, it was reported that one of the notes suggested attempting to persuade him that he is guilty rather than innocent.

In December 2022, Beale, aged 35, is currently on trial in the NSW district court for one charge of engaging in sexual intercourse without consent and two charges of sexual touching that occurred at Bondi’s Beach Road Hotel.

The ex-Wallabies player has denied any wrongdoing in regards to the accusations.

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The individual, whose identity cannot be disclosed by law, conversed with Beale approximately one month following the reported attack in a phone conversation that was secretly recorded by law enforcement.

In her notes, she also mentioned that “he would benefit from confessing” and made a note to “be amicable and behave normally.”

The female individual, who claims that Beale touched her buttocks and coerced her into oral sex within a toilet stall, finished her extensive questioning by Beale’s lawyer, Margaret Cunneen SC, on Thursday.

“Did you intend to persuade him of his guilt?” Cunneen asked the woman about her phone call to Beale.

“No,” she replied.

Cunneen inquired if the purpose of the discussion was to obtain his confession.

The woman expressed her desire for an apology.

During the conversation, Beale expressed deep regret to the woman, acknowledging that he misinterpreted the circumstances.

“The woman informed Beale that she understands he misinterpreted the situation, but it doesn’t hold significance.”

Beale inquired if the conversation was being recorded, but the woman denied it and explained that her therapist had advised her to make the call.

Cunneen inquired with the woman, “Did you tell that lie so effortlessly and without hesitation?”

The woman said “no.”

Cunneen proposed that the interactions between Beale and the woman on the evening in question were mutually agreed upon, and that she fabricated a sexual assault in order to gain sympathy from her partner, with whom she was experiencing relationship problems.

During court proceedings, it was revealed that following a dispute earlier in the day, the woman texted her fiancé with the question, “Do you still want to marry me?”

Cunneen accused the woman of fabricating a story for her own benefit in order to salvage the marriage she had eagerly looked forward to.

However, the woman refuted the idea that her interaction with Beale was consensual and stated that she had not been flirtatious with him before the reported assault.

The attorneys for Beale have pointed out video evidence that shows the woman conversing with her partner and the rugby player shortly after the reported incident took place in a nearby restroom.

Cunneen proposed that the woman’s actions did not align with her account of the incident. He wondered why she did not exit the venue or inform security.

“Why didn’t you depart immediately after returning from the restroom?” inquired Jeff Tunks, the prosecuting attorney, as a follow-up.

She responded, “I didn’t want to create a disturbance… I didn’t want to worry (my fiance).”

The trial continues.

Source: theguardian.com