A video has been presented to a jury that allegedly depicts rugby player Kurtley Beale inappropriately touching a woman at a pub and later committing sexual assault in a bathroom. His lawyer has assured the jury that a different narrative will be presented.

On Tuesday, jurors were shown a digital map and a compilation of CCTV footage from the Beach Road Hotel near Bondi beach. They were reminded to approach the evidence with an unbiased perspective.

In December 2022, Beale has denied allegations of groping and sexually assaulting a woman. The woman’s identity cannot be revealed for legal purposes.

The New South Wales district court jury hearing the case on Tuesday will view over an hour of CCTV footage from the Beach Road Hotel near Bondi beach.

In December 2022, Beale refutes any allegations of touching or sexually assaulting a woman who is unable to be named for legal purposes.

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The 35-year-old professional rugby player has denied charges of non-consensual sexual intercourse and two instances of sexual touching.

The trial will convene for the next 21 days, with a jury consisting of seven female and five male members. On Tuesday, both the prosecution and defence will deliver their opening statements.

Jeff Tunks, the prosecutor, had to begin his opening statement again after Judge Graham Turnbull noticed that there were only 11 jurors present in the jury box.

In summary, Tunks stated that Beale made physical contact with the woman’s buttocks in a public part of the bar and then proceeded to engage in non-consensual oral intercourse with her in a cubicle in the men’s restroom.

The main focus of the trial will be determining if the woman gave consent, according to the prosecutor’s statement to the jury.

He stated that recorded phone calls will be presented to the jury for consideration along with testimony from witnesses.

According to Tunks, a surveillance camera recorded one of the charges for sexual touching in the main bar area.

He emphasized the significance of forming your own understanding and opinion based on what you observe in the video.

The court was informed that the accuser would testify that Beale had physically touched her buttocks under her clothing while in the bar.

According to Tunks, the woman pushed his hand away and told him to stop, but did not respond further in order to avoid drawing attention. He anticipated that she would say this.

Shortly after, the two individuals interacted once more. The video captured the woman following Beale into the restroom designated for men, according to Tunks.

According to Tunks, the woman was likely to recount Beale forcefully grabbing the back of her head and inserting his penis into her mouth. He also alleged that Beale made suggestive comments and attempted to have sex with her from behind in one of the cubicles.

According to Tunks, the hotel employees who entered the bathroom during the reported incident are anticipated to provide testimony of witnessing a man and a woman inside a stall together.

According to Beale’s lawyer, Margaret Cunneen SC, the footballer is innocent and the prosecution must provide sufficient evidence to prove otherwise.

She stated that there is an alternative version of events that you will learn about in this case.

Cunneen stated that the events of the night were consensual and she believes the complainant was the one who initiated them. She also emphasized that the CCTV footage would demonstrate the woman willingly following Beale into the bathroom.

She stated that according to the defense, the complainant had given consent and Mr. Beale genuinely believed that she was consenting throughout.

A man whose identity is unknown was caught on surveillance camera interacting with Beale shortly before the reported sexual assault. He then proceeded to enter the bathroom after the two had gone inside.

According to Ms Cunneen, the defense asserts that the unidentified individual was aware of the situation and may have been observing it as a voyeur.

According to her, when hotel employees entered the bathroom, they were required to report any sounds they heard. This did not include any indications of disagreement or discomfort.

The trial for Beale will resume on Wednesday.

The player, who has represented both the Waratahs and the Wallabies, has played a total of 95 games for Australia and has also competed for the English team Wasps and the French team Racing 92 in the Top 14 league.

Source: theguardian.com