Trial of two men accused of rape in Darwin over alleged sexual assault of intoxicated woman picked up via Uber
Consensus Summary
Two men, Panormitis Charalampis and Michael Vrouvis, were acquitted after a two-week trial in the Northern Territory Supreme Court for allegedly raping a woman they picked up while she waited for an Uber outside Darwinâs Mayberry nightclub on January 14 2024. The woman, in her 20s, had been drinking heavily and was found to have a blood alcohol concentration between 0.1 and 0.15 when she arrived at her apartment with the men. Prosecutors argued she was severely intoxicated, unable to consent, and repeatedly assaulted over eight hours, citing CCTV footage showing her struggling to walk and her fragmented testimony about being 'in and out of consciousness.' The defence countered that the woman had initiated sexual contact and was not so drunk as to be incapable of consent, highlighting her ability to walk into the car and later engage in activities like smoking a cigarette with the men. The jury ultimately found no reasonable doubt, acquitting both men on all four counts each. The case hinged on conflicting interpretations of the womanâs intoxication and memory gaps, with the defence emphasizing inconsistencies in her account and the prosecution stressing the menâs alleged exploitation of her vulnerable state.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Panormitis Charalampis and Michael Vrouvis were charged with four counts each of sexual intercourse without consent in the Northern Territory Supreme Court
- The incident occurred on January 14, 2024, after the woman left Mayberry nightclub in Darwinâs CBD at approximately 3:30am
- The woman ordered an Uber but was picked up by Charalampis and Vrouvis, who she believed were her Uber drivers
- CCTV footage shows the woman leaving Mayberry at 3:30am and being picked up by the men outside the nightclub
- The womanâs blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was estimated between 0.1 and 0.15 when she reached her apartment block
- The men remained in the womanâs apartment for approximately eight hours
- Both men pleaded not guilty, with the defence arguing all sexual activity was consensual
- The jury deliberated for nearly seven hours before acquitting both men on all charges
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Prosecutor Rebecca Everitt argued the woman was 'in and out of consciousness' and 'unable to walk without being carried by two men' after being picked up
- Defence lawyer Beth Wild suggested the woman may have 'regretted' the night and 'conceived a different narrative' due to the 'not great story' of two foreign men in her apartment
- Defence lawyer James Stuchbery and Beth Wild argued the woman's memory gaps did not prove incapacity to consent
- Crown prosecutor Rebecca Everitt pointed to expert witness Jane Goodman-Delahuntyâs determination of the womanâs BAC range (0.2 to 0.1) when she arrived at the apartment
- Defence lawyer Stephen Robson SC disputed the prosecutionâs claim the woman was 'incapable of giving consent' at 8am, arguing the central issue was whether she was 'so drunk as to be incapable' or had 'low inhibitions'
- The womanâs mother and housemate testified during the trial
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- Article 1 states the womanâs BAC was between 0.2 and 0.1 when she arrived at the apartment, while Article 2 and 3 state it was between 0.1 and 0.15
- Article 1 describes the woman as 'crawling and falling out of a car, laying on the ground, unable to walk without being carried by two men,' but Article 2 does not mention her being carried or lying on the ground
- Article 1 reports the woman said she 'didnât know how long [the assault] lasted, it just felt like it kept going,' while Article 3 describes the Crown as alleging 'elaborate and extensive sexual interactions' without direct quotes from the woman
- Article 1 states the defence argued the woman had a 'false reality' about the night, while Article 3 states defence lawyers contended the woman's behaviour (e.g., walking naked onto a balcony) was 'inconsistent with her believing at that time that the two men were rapists'
- Article 2 reports Panormitis Charalampis testified he felt a 'duty' to ensure the woman got home safely and that she 'initiated the sexual activity,' while Article 1 does not include this specific testimony from Charalampis
Source Articles
Jury clears men accused of raping intoxicated woman waiting for an Uber
Two men accused of raping a young woman they picked up while she waited for an Uber have been acquitted on all charges by a Northern Territory jury....
Man accused of raping woman in her apartment testifies 'she wasn't that drunk'
Panormitis Charalampis, co-accused of picking up an intoxicated young woman from outside a nightclub while she was waiting for an uber and sexually assaulting her at her apartment, took the stand, und...
Trial of two men accused of rape in Darwin hears closing arguments
The jury in the trial of two men accused of picking up a young woman waiting for an Uber after a night out and raping her in her home has heard closing submissions....