By Dominique Tassell
The third day of the rape trial against prominent Warwick stock agent George McVeigh saw the defence’s final witness give their testimony and one count dropped from the charges by the prosecution.
Via telephone, the witness told the court of interactions they had with the complainant.
The witness, a long-term friend of McVeigh who knew the complainant through him, alleged that the complainant stated three or four years ago that she was bored with her husband but was unprepared to leave the relationship.
She then told the court that McVeigh had called her husband after he was accused of the offences and she had in turn phoned the complainant to ask what had happened.
The witness alleged that McVeigh had been asked by the complainant’s husband to check on the complainant and the property while he was away. They alleged that the complainant told them that McVeigh had come over one night and “pushed her down on the floor and raped her“.
“She said that she went to have a shower, she stayed in the shower for a while but she did not know whether he actually penetrated her.“
The prosecution asked whether the witness was closer to the McVeighs than the complainant and her husband, which the witness confirmed.
The witness stated they had known McVeigh for 15 or 16 years.
The prosecution asked when it was that the witness had been asked to recall the phone conversation with the complainant, and if they thought their memory was as good as it had been immediately after the conversation.
The witness stated they had been asked to recall the conversation six to 10 months after it occurred and that they believed their recollection was the same months later.
The jury asked for clarification regarding whether anyone was accompanying McVeigh on the night of the alleged incident.
The court was delayed in receiving the transcript of Wednesday’s proceedings and adjourned until this was received so they could read the relevant section to the jury.
It was clarified that McVeigh was accompanied by someone to the complainant’s home early that afternoon but he returned alone at the time of the alleged incident.
At the conclusion of day three of the trial, crown prosecutor Catherine Birkett told the court that “the crown will not proceed with count five on the indictment“ as they were not satisfied the burden of evidence had been met.
This charge related to allegations that McVeigh allegedly forced the complainant to touch him inappropriately.
McVeigh is charged with offences including rape, sexual assault and attempted rape.
It is alleged that McVeigh sexually assaulted the complainant at her home on 31 January 2021, performing a sex act without her consent and attempting to rape her.
The closing statements are to be heard on Friday 18 November.
