The jury for a trial into an alleged 2018 rape has begun deliberations, with a verdict expected tomorrow. James Lithgow, 46, stands accused of seven charges, including two counts of rape, attempted rape, sexual assault, and one charge of false imprisonment. He appeared at the County Court in Ballarat on Tuesday, as the trial entered its final stages. The charges relate to an alleged incident on September 27, 2018, in which Lithgow was alleged to have touched and sexually penetrated a then 19-year-old Japanese woman without her consent in a caravan at a Halls Gap campsite. The 19-year-old, who was in Australia on a working visa, had first come into contact with Lithgow the day before, when she responded to a Gumtree advertisement from Lithgow looking for workers to clean his Halls Gap Airbnb. The court heard from Lithgow's defence barrister Moya O'Brien, who presented the second half of her closing argument, which was cut short due to time restraints on Monday afternoon. In the closing argument, Ms O'Brien summarised the defence's case put forward during the trial, and stated there were both internal and external inconsistencies in the complainant's case. IN OTHER NEWS: The barrister asked the jury to consider the potential motives the woman may have had to lie about the nature of her and Lithgow's interactions on the night in question. Ms O'Brien also said the investigation following the report to police was inadequate, as the the investigating officer had not spoken to what she believed could have been key witnesses, such as the people staying in the AirBnb on the night in question, or nearby campers. She said police officers also failed to ask sufficient follow-up questions in the recorded interview Lithgow had with police when brought in for questioning. "Imagine it was your loved on sitting in this dock," Ms O'Brien said. "Imagine someone you know was in that situation, you would want a thorough and impartial investigation to be carried out by Victoria Police. "This man is facing serious criminal charges and he deserves Victoria Police to investigate properly." Judge Fran Dalziel told the jury of their responsibilities when coming to a verdict and summarised the issues and elements of the case before them. The matter will return to court on Wednesday, where the jury is expected to hand down a verdict. Affected by this story? There is help available. You can phone the Ballarat Centre Against Sexual Assault, in Sebastopol, on 5320 3933, or free-call the crisis care line 24 hours on 1800 806 292. Or phone Lifeline on 13 11 14, the Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380, or Relationships Australia on 1300 364 277. Have you tried The Courier's app? It can be downloaded here.