Editor's note: On May 7, 2021, Magistrate Glenn Theakston found Mr Egan not guilty of all charges in this matter being two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and one count of common assault. The headline of this article has been changed to reflect this.
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A Canberra high school teacher of some 20 years is accused of assaulting a woman after she refused to suck his thumb.
Timothy John Egan fronted the ACT Magistrates Court on Tuesday via audio-visual link from a remote room.
Duty lawyer Solitaire Zahnleiter applied for bail on his behalf, and said the 47-year-old would likely plead not guilty to two charges: common assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Ms Zahnleiter said Mr Egan denied allegations that he had slammed his elbow into a woman's eye while the pair were in bed at his home in Kambah last Friday.
Police documents alleged Mr Egan and the woman had used "rough sexual practices" in the past, but she turned him down on this occasion when he shoved his thumb in her mouth and said "suck my thumb".
The documents alleged Mr Egan rolled on top of the woman and said, "Don't you ever say no to me, you'll do as you're told", before he punched her on either side of her head and they got into a physical altercation.
The woman told police Mr Egan pushed down on her collarbone and elbowed her in the face, and she "continually screamed" throughout the incident.
She said afterwards, when she showed Mr Egan her injured eye, he said: "I thought it would be worse than it was ... don't be a sook, it's not that bad."
The documents said the woman took a "selfie-style" photo of her injury with Mr Egan in the background giving the "thumbs up".
She later reported the alleged incident to police, and showed them a forwarded email in which Mr Egan allegedly said: "She just left here with a black eye. So I've figured out what the future holds for her."
The documents said Mr Egan told officers that he and the woman had been engaged in sexual acts on the bed when he said his ex-partner's name and they got into a physical altercation.
He said he had restrained the woman twice - once, because she had kicked and flailed her arms at him - and hit her on either side of her head.
In court on Tuesday, Ms Zahnleiter said Mr Egan also denied having substance abuse issues, which the author of a bail consideration form had identified.
Special Magistrate Margeret Hunter said, "I don't know what he teaches his students if that's the case", and noted Mr Egan was alleged to have a history of "controlling behaviour".
Regardless, she said any risk to the woman could be ameliorated by strict court orders.
The magistrate granted Mr Egan bail on conditions including that he provide $1000 to the court if he breached his bail, not contact the woman and not use illegal drugs.
Mr Egan will next appear in court on December 8.
Correction: This article has been updated to include the correct length of time Timothy Egan has been a teacher.
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.
