Vic: Alleged rapist told wife of attack before it was public

AAP General News (Australia)
12-05-2001
Vic: Alleged rapist told wife of attack before it was public

By Nick Lenaghan

MELBOURNE, Dec 5 AAP - A Melbourne man accused of raping two six-year-old girls told
his wife about the attack before news of it became public, a court was told today.

But Andrew Davies' wife Jasmine later changed her statement to police after her husband
spoke to her during a prison visit.

Magistrate Frank Hodgens today committed Davies, 33, of Ardeer, to stand trial on 14
charges, including rape, stalking, sexual penetration of a child and recklessly causing
serious injury.

Davies allegedly followed three young schoolgirls - one aged eight and the others aged
six - through Nagambie in central Victoria on May 19 before attacking the two younger
girls at the local primary school.

The Melbourne Magistrates Court was told two of those girls clearly identified Davies,
distinguishing him by his blackened and rotten teeth.

Earlier, the court was closed as two of the victims, who are sisters, gave evidence
about the alleged attack.

Detective Senior Constable Michael Burns today told the court Davies had been secretly
taped during visits from his wife at the Melbourne assessment prison.

He had "encouraged his wife to change the account she had given to police", fearing
her evidence would implicate him in the attack, the court was told.

Prosecutor Andrew Tilley said Ms Davies had originally told police her husband "expressed
knowledge" of the attack the weekend it happened, telling his wife he had heard news reports
about it.

The court was told that police had released no information about the attack until Monday,
May 21 and there were no other reports in the media until then.

Mr Tilley said Davies had succeeded in getting his wife to change her statement, which
has been withdrawn from the prosecution brief of evidence.

Mobile phone records allegedly show that Davies also took a call from his wife about
2pm on the day of the attack while he was in the vicinity of Nagambie.

Between one and two hours earlier, an officer at the Shepparton police station, north
of Nagambie, took a complaint from Davies over a dispute about washing machines with his
sister, the court has been told.

Mr Hodgens refused a bail application from Davies, after being told that he was a very
dangerous man who posed an unacceptable risk to the public if he was released.

Davies indicated he would plead not guilty and is due to appear at a directions hearing
at the County Court on February 5 next year.

AAP nl/gfr/apm/sp

KEYWORD: DAVIES NIGHTLEAD

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