Further guilty verdict in buck's gang rape trial

On Monday, they were hit with nine guilty verdicts regarding the sexual assault of three women, who were lured into their rented Newcastle Airbnb one weekend in February 2022 ahead of groom Maurice Hawell's wedding.

The verdicts included multiple counts of aggravated sexual assault in company relating to all three women and of aggravated sexual touching and the attempted aggravated sexual assault of one woman.

The jury returned on Tuesday to give a further guilty verdict against Maurice Hawell for attempting to sexually touch one of the victims without her consent.

They have been sent out to continue their deliberations.

Judge Gina O'Rourke told the jury they only needed to reach a majority verdict rather than a unanimous one on the final remaining count of aggravated sexual assault in company against all three men.

The three men wore prison greens as they were escorted into the dock, from which they blew kisses to three female supporters in the courtroom on Tuesday.

During the trial, jurors heard the men met three teenage women at a nearby pub and separately invited them back to the unit.

After having consensual sex, two 18-year-old victims went to retrieve their phones from a darkened bedroom where they were pushed onto the bed, stripped and "swarmed" by naked men, crown prosecutor Craig Evans previously said.

Describing exactly who performed which sexual act was impossible because the room was dark, but prosecutors alleged the three men were engaged in a joint criminal agreement to rape and sexually touch the women.

On the following night, a 19-year-old said she entered the apartment on the pretext of drinks but was raped by Maurice Hawell and David, who took turns swapping sexual positions. 

Marius Hawell came into the room and watched, Mr Evans told the court.

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