Sugar daddy who had Stilnox packet, Viagra in 'hopefulness kit' found not guilty of attempted rape

Updated July 07, 2017 17:28:20

A Sydney man has been found not guilty of attempting to rape a woman he met on a sugar daddy website, but has pleaded guilty to spiking her drink, while on an overnight trip to Canberra.

The ACT Supreme Court jury had to decide if Juswan Mokmargana, 46, intended to rape the 24-year-old woman, or was merely "hoping to get lucky".

The jury took just a few hours to hand down the not guilty verdict on the charge of attempted rape.

But after the jury delivered its verdict, Mokmargana pleaded guilty to spiking the woman's drink.

He was later handed a six-month suspended sentence for the charge.

The court heard the woman told Mokmargana, whom she met online, that she was not interested in a sexual relationship, but did agree to travel from Sydney to Canberra with him for an overnight stay.

Mokmargana was arrested in Canberra after the woman complained to staff at a pub that her drink had been spiked.

CCTV footage captured Mokmargana spiking drink

The court heard that Viagra, an empty packet of the drug Stilnox, condoms and two rings were found in Mokmargana's bag.

Mokmargana's lawyer James Stewart told the jury there was no attempted rape and there was nothing sinister about a single man in his 40s travelling with Viagra and condoms.

He said those items did not make up the "rape kit" described by the prosecution.

"Can I suggest it's a hopefulness kit ... it's just hoping to get lucky," he said.

Mr Stewart also pointed to the rings found in Morkmargana's bag.

"If you are going to rape someone why on Earth would you bring an engagement ring?" he asked.

He said instead it was the hope of a man in his mid-40s who thought the 24-year-old would agree to have sex with him.

Suspended sentence for drink spiking

On Friday afternoon Morkmargana was handed a suspended six-month jail sentence and a one-year good behaviour order for spiking the woman's drink.

During the trial the court was shown CCTV footage of Mokmargana placing a drug into her drink while she was away from the table.

In handing down the sentence, Justice Michael Elkaim said he believed Mokmargana had wanted "to render [the woman] into an at least drowsy state and to take advantage of her".

Topics: courts-and-trials, sexual-offences, act, canberra-2600

First posted July 07, 2017 12:58:51