A woman allegedly molested as a child in the 1980s can remember her tennis coach's "distinctive scent", calm voice, and big hands when he "beckoned" her to touch his penis, a court has heard.
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Former Forrest Tennis Club coach John Walter Cattle, 83, is on trial in the ACT Supreme Court charged with three historical acts of indecency and one indecent assault.
He has pleaded not guilty to all the alleged offences.
In closing remarks on Wednesday, his defence barrister Craig Smith SC told a jury they could not be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt Mr Cattle assaulted two of his students between 1983 and 1987.
Mr Smith said the prosecution's case relied mostly on the accounts of the two alleged victims. He told the court an expert had given evidence that "our memories are not a faithful recording of the past".
Prosecutor Keegan Lee told the court that, despite the passing of time, Mr Cattle's two alleged victims could remember being assaulted by him, and how they felt when it happened.
Police allege that, on multiple occasions, Mr Cattle leant against a kitchen bench in the Forrest tennis clubhouse, kissed one victim, took her hand, and showed her how to touch his penis.
"[The alleged victim] recalled the kissing ... [she said] there was definitely tongue," Mr Lee told the court.
"[She said], 'I just remember [his penis] being scary'.
"This is happening to a 10-, 11-, [or] 12-year-old girl."
Mr Cattle also allegedly instructed the girl to look at a pornographic magazine in the club's bathroom.
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Police say Mr Cattle "steered" another of his students, who was about 12 at the time, into the club's boys' change room. There, it's alleged he "got her by the shoulders", held her against a wall, kissed her, and put his hand up her tennis skirt before he rubbed her genitals.
"She said it was like being licked by a dog," Mr Lee said on Wednesday.
"This is a child being forcibly kissed by a middle-aged man using his tongue.
"She was frightened ... she thinks she froze because she didn't understand what was happening."
The first alleged victim said she was assaulted by Mr Cattle on multiple occasions between January 1, 1983, and December 31, 1984, in a clubhouse she remembered as "dark and dingy".
Defence barrister Mr Smith said a new light-filled clubhouse with glass sliding doors was opened at Forrest Tennis Club in February 1983, so the alleged assaults couldn't have happened during the period cited in the indictment.
The second alleged victim said she was assaulted by Mr Cattle on Saturday, April 4, 1987.
Mr Smith said conflicting evidence from witnesses suggested some sort of "event" involving the girl may have happened on a weekday instead - meaning the jury could not be satisfied any incident occurred on April 4, and could not find Mr Cattle guilty of the three charges relating to her.
The alleged victim's mother previously told the court she was adamant her daughter was assaulted on April 4, because it was the day of the Canberra Grammar School fete.
The jury has been sent to deliberate.
Cassandra Morgan
It has never been more important for Canberrans to be able to access reliable and accurate information about health. As The Canberra Times’ health reporter, I am committed to ensuring our readers have access to this. I, like many in the territory, have family members who work in the sector. Although providing comprehensive coverage on the coronavirus pandemic is obviously my number one priority, I aim to frequently shed light on the fantastic work our frontline professionals do, as well as the challenges they face. Email me tips and story ideas at: c.morgan@canberratimes.com.au.
It has never been more important for Canberrans to be able to access reliable and accurate information about health. As The Canberra Times’ health reporter, I am committed to ensuring our readers have access to this. I, like many in the territory, have family members who work in the sector. Although providing comprehensive coverage on the coronavirus pandemic is obviously my number one priority, I aim to frequently shed light on the fantastic work our frontline professionals do, as well as the challenges they face. Email me tips and story ideas at: c.morgan@canberratimes.com.au.
