A young actor and football player who was once profiled by the ABC and the Geelong Advertiser for his theatrical work is accused of raping a mother of two after a night out on Chapel Street.
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who → profile → Street
Craig Gunguta, 30, appeared in Melbourne County Court on Tuesday, having pleaded not guilty to rape.
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Gunguta → appear → rape
The jury heard that Gunguta is accused of raping a woman he had been drinking and dancing with at the former South Yarra party venue Lux nightclub in December 2023.
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he → hear → December
It is alleged that Gunguta sexually assaulted the woman after accompanying her to her home in Melbourne's west on December 18.
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Gunguta → allege → December
The court heard the complainant, who was in a committed relationship at the time, had only a 'few sips of alcohol' and spent the night dancing with friends at the Chapel Street venue.
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who → hear → venue
Gunguta, who knew some of the woman's friends, approached the group and danced with them, the court was told.
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court → know → them
At about 3am, the alleged victim told her friends she wanted to go home because she was tired, the jury heard.
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jury → tell → friends
Gunguta, who was an acquaintance of the alleged victim's then-boyfriend, rode in the car with the group after the jury heard he asked for a lift home.
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he → ride → lift
Craig Gunguta fronted Melbourne's County Court on Tuesday after pleading not guilty to rape
The first female witness claimed Gunguta asked to go back to the complainant's home because he was too drunk to return to his own house.
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he → front → house
However, she also said that Gunguta was invited back to the house by 'someone' in their group who had been at Lux.
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who → say → Lux
Contradictory claims were also heard in court about whether the first female witness was seen 'grinding', 'twerking' and being 'flirtatious' with Gunguta at the club.
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witness → hear → club
A second female witness claimed she witnessed this happening, but the first female witness denied any grinding on the dance floor had taken place.
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grinding → claim → place
The complainant's then-boyfriend also gave evidence on Tuesday saying that he, the accused, the complainant and others at the house were 'chilling, drinking and listening to music'.
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he → give → music
But the first female witness claimed the alleged victim and her then-boyfriend went straight to the complainant's bedroom.
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victim → claim → bedroom
The second female witness claimed the six people at the house were 'mingling' and 'coupled up' and that 'obviously' Gunguta was with the first female witness, who cannot be named for legal reasons.
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who → claim → reasons
The jury heard Gunguta went to a bedroom with the first female witness but they slept together fully clothed and 'nothing happened'.
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nothing → hear → witness
It's alleged Gunguta raped a mother of two after partying at former South Yarra venue Lux Nightclub (above)
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Gunguta → allege → venue
She claimed she woke up sometime later in the morning and Gunguta was already awake and asking for a phone charger so she told him there was one in the kitchen.
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she → claim → kitchen
The jury heard Gunguta allegedly entered the complainant's room and 'got on top of her'.
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Gunguta → hear → her
The alleged victim, who the jury heard claimed to be in a deep sleep, thought at first her boyfriend had jumped on her.
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boyfriend → hear → her
She repeatedly said her then-boyfriend's name but got no response as Gunguta allegedly kissed her and rubbed and squeezed her buttocks, the jury was told.
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jury → say → buttocks
Gunguta then allegedly raped the woman with his penis.
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Gunguta → rap → penis
The prosecution alleged the complainant was 'asleep at the time of the penetration and was therefore incapable of consenting'.
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complainant → allege → penetration
The alleged victim claimed she found it 'difficult to open her eyes due to tiredness' but she suspected the person on top of her wasn't her boyfriend because she 'smelled him and felt the accused's hair and back with her hands'.
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she → claim → hands
The woman allegedly pushed Gunguta off her, telling him twice to 'get out'.
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woman → push → him
The jury heard Gunguta got off the alleged victim and left her bedroom.
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Gunguta → hear → bedroom
She also claimed she saw he was 'naked and was trying to put his pants or boxers back on'.
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he → claim → pants
It's alleged the incident lasted for about 20 minutes, after which Gunguta returned to the first female witness's room.
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Gunguta → allege → room
She recalled Gunguta allegedly appeared to be 'sweating' despite it 'not being hot in the house' and he was possibly wearing boxer shorts but he was shirtless.
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he → recall → shorts
Gunguta said he booked an Uber because he 'had to leave'.
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he → say → Uber
The second female witness said the alleged victim appeared 'really, really upset' so she told her to report the matter to police.
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she → say → police
She told the jury she and the alleged victim called Gunguta on a speakerphone about a missing mobile phone before the complainant, who was 'obviously upset', said, 'If you don't bring the phone, I'm going to tell them what you did,' and, 'I'm going to deal with you'.
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I → tell → you
The second female witness said she asked the complainant what Gunguta did but initially she wouldn't say before eventually revealing the allegation.
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she → say → allegation
'She basically explained how she was sleeping and what he had done when she was sleeping,' the witness told the court.
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witness → explain → court
'So she explained the event and she... kept saying, like, "How could I get raped at my old age? How
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I → explain → age
I get raped at my old age?" and then she started crying.'
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she → rap → age
This witness said she 'really needed to convince' the alleged victim to report the matter to police.
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she → say → police
The complainant reported the alleged rape to police later that evening who referred the matter to the Brimbank Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team (SOCIT).
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who → report → Team
According to the prosecution summary of allegations, the complainant told investigators a 'relatively unknown male' raped her and 'no condom was used' and she was 'unsure if he had ejaculated'.
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he → accord → her
Police arrested Gunguta on January 24, 2024, and brought him in for questioning.
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Police → arrest → questioning
…and 12 more, not listed.
The Aporia
