Popular restaurant owner, chef jailed for rape

EXCLUSIVE

A younger Aussie lady who was raped by a far older sexual predator and former chef whereas “essentially unconscious” has given a harrowing account of the crime’s enduring impression.

Matthew John Brown didn’t react as he was sentenced to 6 years imprisonment after being discovered responsible of two counts of sexual activity with out consent in Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court.

The courtroom heard the then-20-year-old lady had moved to Jindabyne to work within the snow season only one week earlier than she was raped by Brown, as soon as a profitable chef and proprietor of a NSW south coast restaurant.

According to info tendered to courtroom, the lady had pushed to Brown’s home on the night time of July 20, 2017, to go to a pal.

After consuming one alcoholic beverage, the lady determined she needed to sleep. As her pal was planning on consuming for some time longer, she went upstairs to a bed room, having initially meant to share a mattress along with her pal when she was achieved socialising.

A short time after falling asleep, the lady was shocked to get up and discover Brown was within the bed room.

The courtroom earlier heard proof from the lady that Brown requested her for intercourse and he or she was “essentially unconscious” as she mentioned “no” a number of instances, earlier than he mentioned “come on, you know you want to”.

After dismissing her made-up excuses like being too drunk, the courtroom heard Brown tightly gripped her wrist and raped her.

Six years later, the lady appeared Brown within the eye as she learn out a transferring sufferer impression assertion to courtroom on Friday, telling him she “can’t wait to be free” of him.

“Six years ago, I moved to Jindabyne for a fresh start to make new friends, new memories and start a new chapter in my life,” she mentioned, including he took that away from her inside every week.

“For six years I’ve been suffering from this and it’s not something I can easily erase … you took away pieces of me that I’ll never get back and stripped away my self-worth.”

Of the phrase “why,” she mentioned:

“This word hits me like a bullet to the chest and fills me with regret.

“Why did I go upstairs? Why didn’t I scream? Why didn’t I kick? Why didn’t I go to the police straight away?

“I don’t know if I’ll ever recover … I can’t wait to be free from you”.

As the visibly shaken lady left the witness stand, Judge John Pickering informed her to not really feel any blame.

“There’s only one person to blame here,” he mentioned.

In his scathing sentencing remarks, Judge Pickering mentioned he was “perfectly satisfied the victim said no”.

“But people like Mr Brown aren’t necessarily the type of people who believe the word ‘no,” he mentioned.

“(This isn’t) looking into the mind of a normal male but that of an offender. In his mind, I’m sure ‘no’ never means ‘no’.

“I don’t reckon you cared what her thought process was … not caring is as bad as knowing there is no consent”.

Judge Pickering famous Brown’s “somewhat troubling” prison historical past, saying he as soon as had a profitable profession as a full-time chef within the meals trade.

The 37-year-old as soon as owned the favored restaurant, Mimbi’s Diner, within the NSW coastal city of Merimbula and had a clear document earlier than this offence.

He was pressured to shut his business after he was unable to pay hire whereas in custody.

Judge Pickering mentioned that since this offending, he had confronted numerous different sexual costs, together with sexually contact one other particular person with out consent, which he pleaded responsible to and was given a group correction order for.

“While not as serious as this offending, it shows him acting without consent towards a female,” Judge Pickering mentioned.

“Then, at Bega District court on March 17, 2022, he was (convicted of) two counts of use carriage service to procure child under 16 years and was given a 6-month non-parole period.”

On Friday, Brown was sentenced to 6 years behind bars for 2 counts of sexual activity with out consent, with a non-parole interval of 4 years.

He had maintained his innocence all through the trial earlier this yr, together with his authorized staff arguing the lady made up her story as an act of “buyer’s remorse” wherein she regretted having intercourse with him after the very fact.

A jury in the end believed the lady and located Brown responsible.

He might be eligible for parole on September 5, 2025.

Source: www.news.com.au