Brisbane gay man on trial after allegedly raping female friend

A Brisbane gay man in a same-sex relationship has denied raping a female friend for his own “selfish gratification”, arguing the encounter was consensual after he was “curious” about sex with a woman.

The Brisbane woman accused Dominic Edmund Hansson (pictured) of raping her in her inner-city apartment in the early hours of December 7, 2019.

Hansson is currently standing trial for the alleged rape in the Brisbane District Court, the Daily Mail reported.

The now 28 year old told police he was “curious” about sex with a woman and “wondering whether I was in fact actually gay”. He was in a four-year same-sex relationship at the time.

Hansson told police he asked the woman if she wanted to have sex, and she replied “of course I do”, the court heard. Hansson alleged the sexual encounter was consensual.

But Crown prosecutor Chris Cook told the court the woman never consented to the encounter.

Hansson, a trusted friend of the woman, was drinking that night and didn’t get a response when he tried to contact her. He then went to her home and later insisted on sleeping in her bed, the court heard.

“She didn’t see much of a problem with this as she was led to believe he was gay,” the prosecutor told the court.

“[She was] led to believe he loved his [partner], led to believe that he was her friend, led to believe she could trust him.”

The court heard Hansson began “spooning” the woman before raping her. She said she told Hansson to stop, but he allegedly held her down, telling her “I know you like it rough,” the court heard.

The prosecutor argued Hansson used his knowledge about the woman’s sex life as “entitlement to treat her like an object” for his own “sick, selfish sexual gratification”.

But Hansson told police in an initial interview “there was no point while we were having sex where she told me to stop, or indicated that she didn’t want sex any more”.

The woman told friends that Hansson had forced himself onto her before she reported the alleged rape to police in April 2020.

Jury deliberating on verdict on gay man’s rape charges

The prosecutor told the court the gay man had told the woman he’d take his own life if his partner found out about the encounter.

As a result, the woman kept up appearances about their friendship for weeks, the court heard.

In closing arguments, prosecutor Chris Cook argued the jury could not find a motive for the woman to lie.

He argued that the jury should not believe Hansson’s denials, given the evidence, which included dozens of pages of “very controlling and toxic” text messages.

“You may conclude he is a narcissist that can talk himself out of anything,” Cook said.

Defence lawyer Michael Bonasia denied Hansson was a narcissist and suggested the woman may have had a “vendetta” and “a motive to hurt” Hansson and “get back at him”.

Bonasia argued the woman confirmed during cross-examination she’d told her counsellor in 2018 she was “manipulative” and could “lie to others to get what she wants”.

The defence lawyer also argued she maintained a friendship with Hansson for four months after the alleged rape before going to police.

But the prosecutor claimed this was because he manipulated her into doing so. He told the court the woman was scared to come forward.

But Bonasia told the court, “Maybe, just maybe, it’s because she was dealing with the shame of sleeping with [a man] who was in a relationship for some time.

“Maybe she was getting back at him for some hurtful messages that he sent. Maybe it was out of anger. We don’t know.”

On Wednesday, the jury retired to consider its verdict. The jury’s deliberations continued on Thursday morning.

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