Ex-NRL player found not guilty of rape, pleads guilty to separate assault

News.com.au

a day ago

Just minutes after a jury cleared him of two rape charges, Teui 'TC' Robati admitted to unlawfully and indecently assaulting another young woman during a night out in Brisbane.
A jury found the former Brisbane Broncos player not guilty of raping a woman during a late-night encounter in a Fortitude Valley hotel toilet.
The verdict was delivered in the Brisbane District Court on Wednesday afternoon following more than seven hours of deliberation across two days.
The jury of seven women and five men had earlier indicated they were struggling to reach a consensus before ultimately finding Mr Robati, 24, not guilty on both counts of rape.
Supporters of both Mr Robati and the complainant were present in court to hear the outcome.
Mr Robati wiped away tears as the verdicts were handed down, with his mother also seen becoming emotional.
Despite the serious allegations and the impact on his career, defence barrister David Funch told the court that Mr Robati remained optimistic about his future, including a hope to return to professional rugby league.
The woman had alleged she was raped twice by Mr Robati inside a disabled toilet at The Prince Consort Hotel shortly after midnight on December 11, 2022.
The court was told the alleged incident occurred after the 24-year-old woman had been out drinking with friends and met Mr Robati at the hotel.
In prerecorded testimony, she said she followed him into a disabled toilet believing he was inviting her to do 'a line of cocaine.'
Crown prosecutor Isabelle MacNicol said the door closed and 'almost immediately' he put his arms around her neck and started kissing her.
Inside, Mr Robati allegedly told her to 'suck it', despite her saying she didn't want to have sex.
'She was scared, she started pacing. She covered her eyes, as she didn't want to look at the defendant's penis,' Ms MacNicol said.
'She said 'I don't want to do this, I don't know why I'm here.''
The woman said she felt 'pressured and compelled' and eventually performed oral sex without consent.
'After about 15 seconds, she started to gag feeling like she was going to vomit,' Ms MacNicol said.
Witnesses said she appeared distressed and was 'crying' and 'seeking comfort' after the incident.
Ms MacNicol said she told her friends immediately and was 'genuine' in her evidence.
Mr Robati's defence barrister David Funch said no one knew 'what happened in that room'.
'She may well think that she's been raped, she may well believe that, but feelings aren't facts,' Mr Funch said.
He said Mr Robati believed the act was consensual and added that 'poor behaviour doesn't make you a rapist.'
Following the jury's verdict, the court was told Mr Robati would finalise another matter where he pleaded guilty to a separate charge of unlawful and indecent assault involving a different woman in December 2022.
Ms MacNicol said that incident happened about 10 days after the hotel encounter, when Mr Robati, then 21, touched a 21-year-old woman on the neck, breast and waist over her clothing while she was out with her boyfriend and a friend.
The victim pushed his hand away and a friend intervened, the court was told.
Later that evening, security contacted her about what they had witnessed and a formal complaint was made to police.
Mr Funch told the court Mr Robati had 'effectively lost everything' after being charged, including his contract with the Brisbane Broncos.
He said Mr Robati grew up in disadvantaged circumstances in New Zealand, one of 15 people living under the same roof, with an absent father who was in and out of prison.
Despite this, he was described as 'extremely well supported by his family'.
The court was told Mr Robati moved to Australia in 2018 on a sporting scholarship, having played football since the age of five.
He made 17 first-grade appearances across two seasons with the Broncos before the charges were laid.
'He's lost his employment,' Mr Funch said.
Mr Funch said Mr Robati has been in talks with another NRL club, pending the resolution of his legal matters.
He has since worked on the roads, packed food, and is now employed full-time at an auto parts business.
Mr Funch said Mr Robati remained hopeful of returning to professional sport, and is currently volunteering as a coach for an A-grade team.
'He was enjoying fame and fortune … he had just turned 21 at the time of offending,' Mr Funch said.
'He was in quite a surreal position at such a young age.'
Judge Paul Everson described it as 'low-level offending' but 'not trivial', and said Mr Robati's status as a young Broncos player out with teammates did not shield him from accountability.
'The defendant was a public figure … status does not shield you from accountability,' he said, calling the assault 'brazen' and 'creepy' and reflective of a sense of 'entitlement'.
Judge Everson noted Mr Robati's age, his potential for rehabilitation, and his prospects of returning to a professional rugby league career.
He was sentenced to two years probation under strict conditions.
No conviction was recorded.