Australia Australia - Two Female Backpackers attacked at Salt Creek, SA, 9 Feb 2016

[JudgeJudi]

Sean Fewster @SeanFewster · 9s
The #SaltCreek trial will resume at 10am tomorrow. Check @theTiser online now, and in print tomorrow, for full coverage.

 

[MsAnais]

Wow. That's intense.

SO ridiculous what the defense is proposing. It's almost embarrassing......

But as you say Judge Judi, what angle can he take if his client insists on pleading not guilty?

Still, I'm surprised he's presenting such a child-like argument, one that conflicts so obviously with the physical evidence.

I keep imagining a child putting their fingers in their ears, squeezing their eyes shut and just yelling 'Nah, nah...I can't hear you....' :shame:

 

[MsAnais]

Sean Fewster @SeanFewster · 23s
Boucaut: "I suggest to you that you were on the roof of the car, he was driving over the sand dunes & you were looking for the Brazilian."

Boucaut: "Up to that stage, you had no injuries at all."

Boucaut: "At some stage, he went over a sand dune, came to an abrupt halt and you flew off the roof."

[This implies that she sustained her injuries after being thrown from the roof of the 4WD. Dripping in blood, she then climbed back onto the roof because blood is found there. This is beyond preposterous.]

German: "I disagree." Further disagrees she fell off the roof at any stage and hurt herself that way.

Boucaut asks how German could possibly have taken the hammer from the accused, even briefly, and struck him.

German: "I was full of adrenaline. I did not want to die."

BBM

Such a powerful statement.

 

[MsAnais]

So more MSM outlets are picking up the story now....

A German backpacker has broken down in court as she described how she was allegedly attacked by a man with a hammer and run down by a car at a remote South Australian beach.

The woman was in tears and asked the judge if she could take a break from her evidence.

http://www.9news.com.au/national/20...alleged-sa-beach-attacker#3qeMhXQVJx7fC1jd.99

 

[aequitas]

So more MSM outlets are picking up the story now....

A German backpacker has broken down in court as she described how she was allegedly attacked by a man with a hammer and run down by a car at a remote South Australian beach.

The woman was in tears and asked the judge if she could take a break from her evidence.

http://www.9news.com.au/national/20...alleged-sa-beach-attacker#3qeMhXQVJx7fC1jd.99

she is so brave and incredible. They both are.
One question- why haven't the police tried harder to find those two hammers and knife. There is only so far you can throw things and metal detectors should assist. Not that it matters.
Interesting how he went from being a psychotic nutcase to then acting all remorseful and begging her to stay in German. those girls have saved so many!!!!

 

[JudgeJudi]

They did try, using metal detectors and on their hands and knees.

http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/ca4f22cb4c13ea9e29d0e4e05eede444

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/02/15/10/313AE69000000578-0-image-a-42_1455533574865.jpg

The problem as I see it is that according to the German, they were driving in the sand dunes and she was on the roof. “He was driving quite rough, pretty roughly like a madman, through all the bushes even though it would destroy his car ... it was quite wild,” she said. When the 4WD became bogged, RH told her to give him the shovel. She said she would agree if he threw the hammer and the knife away, which she said he did. The hammer and knife could be anywhere in those sand dunes and it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. It does matter because it would be further evidence to support her version of events AND there would be DNA from both of them on the hammer.

 

[DRT]

There were 2 things that sparked me in today's proceedings. The comment from another female. Admittedly the vibes they were getting were bad.

"I thought that it's not a good idea to walk around in a bikini with an older man."

Although this was an isolated beach, a woman that feels comfortable in her body shouldn't have to worry about wearing bathers at the beach.

The other thing that was interesting was how the defence tried to pick the German on language. Camping you are definitely more likely to bring a mallet, but if the accused decided he needed a weapon then a hammer is more appropriate. On travelling the language skills of many Europeans in English are very good, in the finer detail perhaps in a joke they may not understand the context. I commend this German lady on her description of the hammer to avoid any misunderstanding.

Boucaut: "I suggest to you he never hit you with a hammer - or anything, for that matter." German: "That's wrong."

German says she was hit with a "very specific"-looking carpenter's hammer that was silver with a wooden handle.

 

[aequitas]

They did try, using metal detectors and on their hands and knees.

http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/ca4f22cb4c13ea9e29d0e4e05eede444

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/02/15/10/313AE69000000578-0-image-a-42_1455533574865.jpg

The problem as I see it is that according to the German, they were driving in the sand dunes and she was on the roof. “He was driving quite rough, pretty roughly like a madman, through all the bushes even though it would destroy his car ... it was quite wild,” she said. When the 4WD became bogged, RH told her to give him the shovel. She said she would agree if he threw the hammer and the knife away, which she said he did. The hammer and knife could be anywhere in those sand dunes and it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. It does matter because it would be further evidence to support her version of events AND there would be DNA from both of them on the hammer.

i say get a bulldozer and sift the sand! i seriously don't know how they survived this guy. 2 hammers, a knife, a car against being being bloodied, tied up, run over, punched, spat on. My God. And then the accused saying those disgusting words of "i had to try her". I would fall to pieces. How does this plead not guilty.

 

[JudgeJudi]

RH told Bocaut that he wanted to plead not guilty. The first thing Boucaut would have done is asked him for his version of events, and this no doubt is why we’re hearing these absurd accusations he’s putting to the German. Defence counsel have an overriding duty not to mislead the court. He doesn’t have to prove his client is innocent. The burden of proof rests on the prosecution.

While we don’t know what RH will say, at the moment his version would seem to be something like this:

He responded to an ad in Gumtree placed by the Brazilian. He suggested camping, tents and sleeping bags but the Brazilian told him she had already accepted an offer. She later contacted him and asked if he could still take them, and he agreed.

They met at the train station and drove to Coorong. While driving along the beach he saw another 4WD. He continued driving a bit further along the beach. Some time after they stopped, the German went to sleep in the back of the 4WD. While he was setting up camp or shortly afterwards, the Brazilian removed her clothes and was strutting around, naked. They had some wine, and she had more than him. An argument ensued about cooking, she lost her temper and ran off into the sand dunes.

The German wanted him to drive off and look for her and she asked him if she could climb onto the roof of the 4WD. The ride was bumpy as they were driving over the sand dunes. At some point while he was going over a sand dune he came to an abrupt halt and she flew off the roof.

None of this makes sense to me. I won’t bother enumerating all the issues I have because to me there are so many that it’s beyond absurd.

 

[Gecko100]

I just wanted to give a big shout out to the young men who helped her escape, covered her up and drove her to safety. They played a huge part in this horrifying incident, and I am looking forward to hearing their testimony.

 

[MsAnais]

I just wanted to give a big shout out to the young men who helped her escape, covered her up and drove her to safety. They played a huge part in this horrifying incident, and I am looking forward to hearing their testimony.

Great point.

And what a traumatic experience for them as well.

I'm hoping everyone involved has been given good psychological support afterwards. This is truly the stuff that PTSD is made of.

 

[MsAnais]

she is so brave and incredible. They both are.
One question- why haven't the police tried harder to find those two hammers and knife. There is only so far you can throw things and metal detectors should assist. Not that it matters.
Interesting how he went from being a psychotic nutcase to then acting all remorseful and begging her to stay in German. those girls have saved so many!!!!

BBM

I know!! How bizarre that is.

I find that incredibly disturbing. I suspect that he was so in control of himself that he was able to flip into the 'concerned, caring person' act when he needed to. He's a cool-headed, calculating guy imo.....I think it was a lure to get her guard down and then he'd go for it again.

Or he realised that he was in serious danger of getting caught now that the Brazilian had gotten away so he thought he'd better appear like a decent person for when the rescuers arrived.

Not for one second do I believe he was truly remorseful. He was trying to save his own skin.

jmo

 

[aequitas]

I agree, he was just trying to control her and get back into a position of control so he could kill her. IMO this was not his first rodeo. By that time his car was literally covered in blood splatter. He must have been trying to plot how he was going to clean up and dispose of evidence to get away from the scene of the crime undetected. It was a stroke of genius jumping on his car bonnet.

 

[JudgeJudi]

Sean Fewster @SeanFewster · 15m15 minutes ago
The #SaltCreek trial has resumed with further cross-examination of the German alleged victim.

German says she spent "one to two hours" on car's roof, holding on and bleeding, as accused drove over sand dunes.

[OMG. I always imagined this whole scenario took place over the course of 10 minutes or so]

German says she can't be sure the accused intended to throw her off the roof but he "drove pretty rough".

Why did the car drive over her? "I didn't stand up fast enough, I guess" after being hit with bullbar, German says.

German: "I could see the wheels passing next to me, on either side". Car was driving "at running speed" over the top of her.

Bill Boucaut SC, for accused, points out design of his client's 4WD. Says rear end has piece extending "past the floor" of vehicle.

Boucaut: "Did that pass over you?" German: "I really can't remember. It was too fast, everything I just remember the car drove over me."

Cross-examination concludes. No re-examination by DPP. The German alleged victim leaves court - her evidence has finished.

 

[JudgeJudi]

No wonder the police couldn't find the knife or hammer. If he was driving 1 to 2 hours it could be anywhere when she told him to throw them away.

 

[JudgeJudi]

Sean Fewster @SeanFewster · 30s
Jury now being taken, by SA Police crime scene investigator, through photos of campsite, tyre tracks and evidence taken from #SaltCreek.

Jury told police can determine path a vehicle takes through sand dunes, which direction it went & if it went "back and forth".

Tracking 4WD's path was "a matter of following the tracks through hundreds and hundreds of metres of sand dunes".

Jury hears investigators found blood spatter and staining at numerous places on accused's 4WD.

Analysis showed blood on bullbar had "projected" there "from right to left, and from front toward rear of vehicle".

DPP: "When you say 'projected', does that mean there was blood flying through the air from a source?"

Investigator says two types of spatter are passive and projected. Passive drips down using gravity, projected "requires force".

Investigator says the blood found on the bullbar was "projected there, by some force, from a source".

Investigators found passive blood spatter on the 4WD's rear passenger door and window - "in excess of 100 stains".

Passive spatter has been "diluted & flows, or when the volume of blood is so great that it overcomes gravity & flows in a line".

Another stain, measuring 10cm by 5cm, "transferred" from a bleeding object to the bullbar of the 4WD.

Investigator says there was blood on almost all sides of car, plus roof and bullbar. Would later also find a thread on its undercarriage.

 

[JudgeJudi]

Sean Fewster @SeanFewster · 17s
Investigators found "five unopened condoms and a box of viagra" in #SaltCreek accused's 4WD, plus more rope - orange and green.

Lowest point of 4WD's undercarriage - on flat ground, with no one inside - was beneath differential. 22cm. Rest was up to 51cm off ground.

Investigator says blood was found inside 4WD as well - one stain, on glove box, measured 15cm by 6cm.

Some blood stains, originating from roof, flowed and dripped as far as 58cm back down the 4WD's doors and windows.

 

[MsAnais]

Sean Fewster @SeanFewster · 17s
Investigators found "five unopened condoms and a box of viagra" in #SaltCreek accused's 4WD, plus more rope - orange and green.

Lowest point of 4WD's undercarriage - on flat ground, with no one inside - was beneath differential. 22cm. Rest was up to 51cm off ground.

BBM

Ugh!!!!

And I'm with you JudgeJudi......I thought it was 10 minutes or so. One to two hours just takes it all to another level.

For the millionth time I'll say that these women are amazing. Such strong survival instincts.

 

[JudgeJudi]

Sean Fewster @SeanFewster · 1m
#SaltCreek trial now hearing from Ali Mohammed, one of the men DPP says rescued Brazilian after incident.

Mr Mohammed was at #SaltCreek with 16 friends and family members on a fishing trip. Stayed at roadhouse, used four 4WDs in convoy.

Mr Mohammed says that, as the convoy drove along #SaltCreek, "something caught my eye... a figure, doing pretty much star jumps".

Mr Mohammed: "I got out and showed that I saw her... the lady started running toward me... she came all the way to me."

Mr Mohammed: "She was naked, and she was pretty much hysterical. Afraid."

Mr Mohammed: "She started telling me that there was a man out there, and he's going to kill us."

Mr Mohammed: "She jumped in the car, still hysterical, saying 'can we get out of here?".

Mr Mohammed's family gave the woman clothes to "cover her modesty." He was worried - didn't know who the man was, what he was capable of.

Mr Mohammed says the woman then said "my friend" and, at her request, they headed for the campsite.

At the camp they found "the girl's knickers" by a tent. Mr Mohammed says she told him "he ripped them off me, tried to bash me, rape me."

 

[JudgeJudi]

Mr Mohammed believes he saw the accused's 4WD drive out from the dunes and then back into them. Calls it "a commotion".

They then found dumped backpacks, a cap and a cloth - all bloody. "I said 'this is worse than I thought'," Mr Mohammed tells jury.

Why did Mr Mohammed believe she was hysterical? "I observed a lot of injuries on her - bruises, scratches, black eye."

Mr Mohammed: "That explained to me how much she was afraid of what was going on."

Mr Mohammed: "Her being naked said that all to me."