Fiance of Kurtley Beale’s accuser breaks down on witness stand

The fiance of a woman who was allegedly sexually assaulted by Wallabies star Kurtley Beale in the bathroom of a Sydney bar has broken down crying in court.

Mr Beale, 35, is facing a jury trial at Sydney’s Downing Centre Court after pleading not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent and two counts of sexual touching.

Police allege Mr Beale groped a woman’s bottom at the Beach Road bar in Bondi on December 17, 2022, before forcing her into oral sex in a stall in the men’s bathroom.

The fiance, who cannot be named, became emotional in the witness stand on Friday as he recalled when she told him what had allegedly happened in detail.

“She told me ‘Kurtley followed me into the bathroom and pulled out his penis and tried to pushed it into my mouth, and I was pushing him away and saying no’,” he said.

Under cross-examination, he later added: “She also said during the night that Kurtley was grabbing her on the arse a few times and she was pushing his hand away”.

Mr Beale’s barrister, Margaret Cunneen SC, questioned the fiance over his recollection from the night, with the jury being told he had consumed about 40 standard drinks.

The fiance said he could not remember most of the conversations he’d had at the bar but did recall his partner telling him that Mr Beale had tried to kiss her in the bathroom.

The following morning, the fiance told the court he had woken hungover to his partner “bawling her eyes out” before she boarded a flight later that morning to Queensland.

In his statement, the fiance said he had received a phone call from his partner from the airport about the allegations in which he told her he was “sorry for not being in a state to protect” her.

It was that call that became the centre of renewed evidence from the alleged victim who returned to the witness box on Friday after four gruelling days of examination and cross examination.

Under questioning from Ms Cunneen, the woman said she had told her partner in the call that she was “sexually assaulted or raped” and had not provided any further details about the allegations.

“You’re really not sure what you told (your fiance),” Ms Cunneen told the woman. “You insist you said you were sexually assaulted or raped?”

The woman replied: “Correct.”

The fiance also admitted under cross-examination to being “very hurt” after an argument with the woman on the morning of the alleged incident but debated being “deeply distressed”.

In her evidence, the woman claimed Mr Beale had been “forceful” and “desperate” and had asked for sex before barging in on her in the men’s stall and locking the door.

In cross-examination, Ms Cunneen suggested to the woman she instead was the one “in control” of the sexual encounter and had used the allegation to get sympathy for her fiance.

The trial will resume on Monday