Ex-NRL star Teui Robati accused of rape in pub's disabled toilet

News.com.au

2 days ago

WARNING: Graphic details
A Brisbane jury was told a woman began to 'gag' and felt like she was going to vomit as a former NRL player allegedly forced her to perform oral sex in a hotel toilet.
Former Brisbane Broncos player Teui 'TC' Robati has pleaded not guilty to raping a woman twice during an alleged encounter in Fortitude Valley in late 2022.
Crown prosecutor Isabelle MacNicol told the jury on Monday that the woman had met Mr Robati, along with at least one other Broncos player, earlier that evening at The Prince Consort Hotel in Fortitude Valley on December 11, 2022.
The court was told the woman had been out that evening drinking with friends before she encountered Mr Robati at the hotel.
She alleged Mr Robati invited the woman upstairs to an event, where he led her into a disabled toilet where she believed he was going to offer her a 'line of cocaine'.
'The door closed and almost immediately he put his arms around her neck and started kissing her,' Ms MacNicol said.
Inside the toilet, Mr Robati allegedly pulled his pants down and told the woman to 'suck it' despite her saying she did not want to have sex, the court was told.
'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 felt 'pressured and compelled' and then performed oral sex on Mr Robati without her consent, the prosecutor told the court.
'The defendant didn't take no for an answer,' she said.
The court was told she momentarily stopped before he forced her head down again.
'After about 15 seconds, she started to gag feeling like she was going to vomit,' Ms MacNicol said.
She told the court the woman then said she needed to go to the toilet before getting dressed and leaving.
Mr Robati's defence barrister told the court the case would hinge on two key arguments: first, that the sexual acts were entirely consensual and initiated willingly by both parties; and second, that even if the jury found the woman did not consent, Mr Robati held an honest and reasonable belief that she had, a belief which, even if ultimately mistaken, would form a crucial part of the defence's case.
The jury was shown a prerecorded video of the complainant's evidence and her cross-examination, which was conducted in a closed session.
Mr Robati was stood down by the Brisbane Broncos in February 2023, just weeks before the start of the NRL season, after the allegations became public. He has not played in the NRL since.
The trial is expected to run for three days.