Hawkshaw and Topliss guilty of sexual assault
Both men found guilty on all counts of sexual intercourse without consent.
Ryan Matthew Hawkshaw and Hayden Charles Topliss faced trial in Newcastle District Court over an incident on April 22, 2023. A jury found both guilty on all counts after hearing conflicting accounts of what happened in a spare bedroom at Topliss's Scone home.
The jury determined the woman's account was truthful. The jury rejected the defence claim it was merely a bad sexual encounter, finding instead it was a planned assault by two mates.
Topliss was also found guilty of a further charge of sexual intercourse without consent. He continued assaulting the woman after Hawkshaw left.
He was convicted of forcing her hand onto his genitals during a dance floor incident in April 2024. Both men were taken into custody immediately after the verdicts.
- April 22, 2023
- Incident date
- Newcastle District Court
- Court location
Why it mattersThe conviction establishes legal accountability for serious sexual assault and affirms a jury's protection of consent.
AustraliaNewcastle District Court verdict; local justice system response to sexual assault charges.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 8 d ago
