The jury in the trial of an out gay Queensland man, accused of raping his female friend, has been disbanded after it failed to arrive at a majority verdict. Trigger Warning: This story discusses a sexual assault, which might be distressing to some readers.
For 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.Judge Catherine Muir of the Brisbane District Court discharged the jury and scheduled the matter for July 14, 2022, when the court will decide on a retrial in the case.
The jury, comprised of seven men and five women, and deliberated for around 10 hours on whether 28-year-old Dominic Hansson was guilty of raping his female friend in her inner city Brisbane apartment on December 7, 2019 .
They jury informed the judge that they were unable to arrive at a unanimous decision and was instead asked to arrive at a majority verdict of 11, The Courier Mail reported.