'I was horrified' Lovett's alleged victim tells court

Court reporter Sarah Farnsworth

Updated July 13, 2011 18:13:35

The woman allegedly raped by former AFL player Andrew Lovett has told the Victorian County Court she was "horrified, drunk and confused" after she woke up to find him having sex with her.

The former Essendon player and St Kilda recruit is on trial for raping the model at the Port Melbourne home of Saints player Jason Gram on Christmas Eve in 2009.

His alleged victim is giving evidence in a closed court to protect her anonymity, but in the interest of open justice media were provided transcripts of the proceedings.

Testifying from a remote location via video link, she told the jury she and her friend met Lovett, Jason Gram and St Kilda skipper Nick Reiwoldt at a Richmond Pub.

She said she "practically never" drank, but that night consumed four vodka and soda's and two shots, and had been "obviously affected by alcohol".

Admitting her memory was patchy, she told the court she could not remember the cab ride to Gram's Port Melbourne apartment, but recalled being put to bed to sober up by Gram and her friend.

Prosecutor Michael Tovey QC told the court Gram will testify he stayed in the room with her for a time, something she does not remember.

She recalled her friend trying to wake her, but said she could not move and drifted back to sleep.

"Then I remember feeling someone on top of me, and I thought I was dreaming it, or imagining it, [because] I was so in and out," she testified.

"Then, I remember realising that someone was having sex, and I scrambled away, and said no, grabbed my phone, and I texted for help."

She told the court she clearly saw Andrew Lovett's face, and he did not stop having sex with her after she said "no" and squirmed away.

The court heard the woman then fled to the bathroom and remembers Lovett asking her if she was okay.

She was later found collapsed by the entrance to the apartment.

"I remember seeing a door and I was confused and scared and I just fell on the ground into a heap and started crying my eyes out," she said.

She then ran from the building.

"I was in absolute shock, and horrified, and still drunk and confused," she testified.

Under cross-examination she was asked by Lovett's defence lawyer, David Grace QC, if she had dressed up that night to make herself look attractive.

"I always take pride in the way I look, so yes," she replied.

She said she did not go out purposely to meet men, and had not known Reiwoldt, Gram and Lovett were footballers at the time.

Lovett has pleaded not guilty to two counts of rape.

The trial continues.

Tags: sexual-offences, law-crime-and-justice, crime, australian-football-league, st-kilda-3182, melbourne-3000, vic

First posted July 13, 2011 16:40:43

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Craig tells Crows fans to hang on

Posted June 18, 2011 12:06:00

Adelaide coach Neil Craig has told the club's fans to hang on for a scary ride as the Crows try to rebuild their side into being finals contenders.

The Crows opened up like world-beaters in their round 13 AFL clash with Western Bulldogs at Docklands on Friday night, kicking six goals to grab a 22-point lead at quarter-time.

However Craig's inexperienced side made a variety of skill and concentration errors to score only four goals after quarter-time, losing 14.16 (100) to 10.10 (70).

It was Adelaide's ninth loss from 12 games this season, increasing the pressure on the 55-year-old mentor to hold his job for 2012.

Craig said the Crows became loose around the stoppages and showed the type of inconsistency that can plague a young side.

"It's an exciting challenge to build this team but it will be scary for our supporters for a period of time," Craig said.

The Crows coach said half his side had yet to play 40 games.

"It's not an excuse, but you've got to understand what those guys are going through," he said.

"Their capacity to sustain an effort is not there yet. They're not capable yet, not for four quarters. After a period of time, the work-rate just becomes too great.

"It's an inexperienced team that I think is showing some really good signs.

"The positive is for me I saw some really high-level football in the first quarter. That means this group can do it.

"Let's see it maybe for a full game. That's what we're going to push towards ... because it will come.

"The sooner we can uphold our end of the bargain as a playing group and as a coaching group, and keep pushing them hard and improve their performances, the more joy we can bring them (fans)."

Craig led the Crows to the finals in his first five full seasons as coach before Adelaide fell to 11th spot in 2010. He said he was facing a new type of challenge with stars like Brett Burton and Simon Goodwin now retired.

Asked if fans of the two-time premiers could cope with the lack of success during a rebuilding phase, Craig said bluntly: "they are going to have to".

Craig said he could not put a time-frame on when the Crows would be a finals force again.

"I don't know. It's a new experience for me at this level to coach this profile of a group (with a lot of inexperienced players)," he said.

Craig said onballer Rory Sloane suffered a corked thigh but had battled on well and should be fit to play against competition leaders Geelong at Kardinia Park next Saturday.

- AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, sa, adelaide-5000, vic, fitzroy-3065

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