Former outback pub manager claims ‘rape me’ messages to worker were ‘work terminology’

Stewart Patrick Burchell is on trial in the WA District Court, sitting in the tourist town of Broome, charged with a number of sex offences allegedly committed against six staff of the Roebuck Bay Hotel from 2017 to 2023.

He has pleaded not guilty to 13 counts of indecent assault, and one count of rape. Burchell originally faced 16 charges of indecent assault, but Justice Belinda Lonsdale determined in court on Monday he had no case to answer on two of the offences.

On Tuesday, Burchell delivered evidence in his own trial for the second day. He is accused of indecently assaulting two security guards, a skimpy bartender, a manager and two bar staff.

Prosecutor Gary Huggins showed the court a series of text messages between Burchell and one of the guards who alleged he touched her inappropriately while she was on the job.

The messages showed Burchell sent an image of a woman performing oral sex on a man and a message that read “pleas? lol [sic]” to the woman.

However, Burchell claimed this was a joke between friends.

Huggins also showed the court a number of messages from Burchell to the guard on the night of Mardi Gras, where they were both working, where he asked her to “escape and rape me” and “come straight over and abuse me”.

Burchell claimed this was the way the pair communicated, and it was “work terminology” for how busy it was.

Huggins took Burchell through the evidence of three complainants, including through the events leading up to the evening he was alleged to have raped a backpacker who worked in the hotel’s bar.

Burchell claimed he had been drinking with friends before returning to the hotel in February 2020, and started to close up the bar when a co-worker noticed someone had broken into the pub.

He told the court a man had climbed through the ceiling and kicked out a fan to gain entrance, and had started “robbing the place”.

Burchell said he ejected the man, and they had a “tussle” in the car park, before the man yelled he would get “reinforcements” from the oval across the road from the pub and stormed off.

It was that moment, Burchell told the court, the backpacker pulled up in a car and told him to get in.

Burchell said the pair had consensual sex at her home, and Huggins asked if it had ever crossed his mind he was the woman’s employer.

“She’s a mature enough woman that I thought it would be OK,” he replied.

“Yes, but you’re the general manager of the Roey,” Huggins said.

“No, I wasn’t thinking that way,” Burchell said.

When asked if he was thinking about his family and his partner, who had moved out from their home just two days prior, Burchell replied: “Not really.”

Burchell alleged the woman invited him for sex again just 24 hours later – a claim she denies.

Burchell told the court that about a month later, he told the woman he had reunited with his partner, and while she promised not to tell his wife about their relationship, they stayed friendly – even attending Broome’s Mardi Gras festival together some time later.

“You completely trusted [the complainant] that she wouldn’t say anything to your partner?” Huggins asked on Tuesday.

“Yes,” Burchell said.

Also on Tuesday, a former manager of the hotel gave evidence in support of Burchell.

John Wilkins was present at the beginning of the night of the alleged rape, having gone to dinner with Burchell and returned to the Roey.

He said he did not recall Burchell going to the bathroom multiple times – an allegation that had been made by the complainant in respect to cocaine use.

Wilkins said he recalled the Indigenous man breaking into the pub, but did not recall how Burchell or the complainant got home.

Burchell said the woman drove him home, while the woman said she went home alone, and he only came around to her house later.

The court will hear closing arguments from the prosecution and defence on Wednesday.

Hannah Murphy