A man accused of indecently assaulting a woman in the Launceston Library and later at her unit told police in an interview that he kept his hands to himself because he had "been through all this before", a Supreme Court jury heard.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The 57-year-old has pleaded not guilty to three counts of indecent assault and one count of aggravated sexual assault on May 23, 2017.
IN OTHER NEWS:
On Tuesday, the jury heard evidence from two women that a man they now knew touched their breasts in a Northern Tasmanian library in 2005.
In the interview with police, the accused denied rubbing the woman's breasts and vagina over her clothing at the Library. But he said that he had hugged the woman because he liked to "steal cuddles".
He also denied to police that he had touched her breasts, vagina or exposed himself at the woman's unit about 8pm the same day.
The complainant told the jury that she had taken a photo on her mobile phone of the defendant to send to people she had told about the incidents.
Under cross-examination from defence counsel Patrick O'Halloran, the woman denied suggestions that none of the touching took place at either venue. "I think [the accused] is lying... he did touch it. The truth is it did happen," she said.
The jury is almost certain to consider its verdict on Thursday after summing up from Justice Robert Pearce.
In summing up, Crown prosecutor Jodi Dennison said the tendency evidence from the two women from the 2005 incidents could be considered by the jury as making it more likely that he considered the 2017 offences.
Mr Dennison said that the accused had a tendency, which was unchallenged by the defence, to approach young women in libraries and place his hands on their breasts.
Mr O'Halloran said his client had made mistakes in the past but the live issue was whether the Crown had proved beyond reasonable doubt the 2017 charges.
He told the jury it simply could not accept the internal inconsistencies in the young woman's evidence.
He said there was a disconnect between what happened in the library and her letting him into her unit later.