- Teui ‘TC’ Robati has pleaded not guilty to raping woman
- Former footy star allegedly lured woman into a pub toilet
Former NRL player Teui ‘TC’ Robati lured a woman into a pub toilet promising access to an exclusive event before raping her, a jury has been told.
Robati, 23, has pleaded not guilty to raping the woman twice on December 11, 2022.
The ex-Brisbane Broncos second-rower, wearing a white collared shirt, stood before the jurors and entered his pleas in Queensland’s District Court on Monday.
Crown prosecutor Isabelle MacNicol told the jury a 24-year-old woman had attended a pub at the inner-Brisbane suburb of Fortitude Valley to celebrate a friend’s birthday.
‘The young woman found herself alone in a locked bathroom with a man she didn’t know, who was bigger and stronger than her, a man who pressured her into two sexual acts,’ Ms MacNicol said.
‘That man was Teui Robati, who at the time was associated with the Brisbane Broncos.’
Teui Robati (pictured outside court in Brisbane on Monday) has pleaded not guilty to raping the woman twice on December 11, 2022
A jury was told that Robati (pictured) lured a woman into a pub toilet by promising her access to an exclusive event before raping her
Robati was axed by the Brisbane Broncos in February 2023, before the NRL season started.
Ms MacNicol said earlier in the night the woman and her group of friends recognised another Broncos player and started speaking with him.
Robati, aged 21 at the time, came over to introduce himself.
‘(Robati) invited her to an upstairs event. She thought it was exclusive, that she might get free drinks,’ Ms MacNicol said.
The woman was led upstairs at the pub and into a disabled bathroom.
‘There was no mention of the event again. She thought Robati had taken her into the bathroom to offer a line of cocaine,’ Ms MacNicol said.
‘They went in, the door closed. He put her arm around her neck and started kissing her.’
Ms MacNicol said Robati then exposed himself and demanded the woman perform a sex act.
The former footy star allegedly verbally and physically forced the woman into two sex acts
The woman responded ‘I don’t want to have sex with you,’ Ms McNicol told the jury.
The jury heard Robati allegedly verbally and physically forced the woman into two sex acts in a brief period of time.
‘You will hear she felt pressured … you will hear she felt she could not get away,’ Ms McNicol said.
‘You will hear from her friends that she was crying afterwards, panicking.’
Robati’s defence barrister David Funch told the jury it would not be an issue at the trial that his client was at the pub.
‘It is accepted that sexual interaction occurred,’ he said.
Mr Funch said an important issue would be a ‘mistake of fact’.
‘In broad terms, if the person had an honest belief that the person was consenting and it was reasonable for them to hold that belief in all the circumstances, then they have a defence,’ he said.
‘Then they are not guilty of the charge.’
The jury heard the prosecution would have to prove to them beyond reasonable doubt that Robati’s defence of mistaken consent did not apply.
The trial then moved to closed court for the jury to watch video evidence from the alleged victim that was recorded in 2024.
The trial is due to run for three days before Judge William Everson.
