Overview

• Two women gave evidence, including a former “skimpy” bartender who alleged unwanted touching and a colleague who said he dead‑bolted her room and demanded a sex act under threat to her job.
• Another former worker testified that in 2020 he ripped open her shirt and pulled down her bikini top at the pub, testimony the defence challenged on timing and motive, which she rejected.
• Stewart Patrick Burchell, 51, has pleaded not guilty to 15 counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual penetration without consent, with the defence arguing the alleged rape was consensual and other incidents did not occur.
• Prosecutors say the conduct occurred at the hotel, in staff quarters and in a staff vehicle, and that Burchell’s managerial authority over women at the Roebuck Bay Hotel is central to the case.
• The District Court trial in Broome is scheduled for about two weeks, with witnesses appearing via video from Perth, Darwin and London, including an English backpacker who allegedly continued working to protect her visa.