Two Victorian men who raped a female friend after she rejected a threesome with them have appeared in Victoria’s County Court claiming their innocence.
Shaun Bloomfield, 24 and Luke Merryfull, 24, were found guilty by a County Court jury last year of raping the victim inside a caravan at a 21st birthday party in 2016.
Despite being found guilty, the pair continue to deny their crimes and today told a sentencing hearing that the sex was consensual.
The duo, both from Balmoral, a small town in Western Victoria, had more than 70 friends and family attend the court to support them.
In an impact statement read by the victim’s lawyer, she spoke of the ongoing pain inflicted by having two friends she “trusted for 10 years sexually assault me.”
“This will always have an impact on my life,” the statement said.
She says she’s been shunned by her local community and is medicated for PTSD and anxiety.
“The offenders have not shown any remorse, guilt or empathy of what they have done for me.
They have continued to live their lives normally, playing sports, working and hanging out with friends in our hometown.”
While Merryfull was found guilty of one count of rape, the 24-year old has been assured by the president of his football club that he will be welcomed back after he’s been sentenced.
Lawyers for Bloomfield say he’s settled into prison life losing 12 kilograms and building muscle in the gym.
Both men will be sentenced on Wednesday and have been told by Judge Gerard Mullaly to expect significant jail time.