This was published 7 years ago
Australia Day bottle rape in Brisbane: Footballer pleads guilty
A 23-year-old who admitted taking part in the rape of an unconscious man at an Australia Day party in Brisbane will learn next week if he will serve jail time.
Frazer John Eaton pleaded guilty on Friday to the charge in Brisbane District Court.
The former surf lifesaving representative and talented Australian rules footballer held the young man's shoulders while one of his co-accused assaulted him with a beer bottle.Credit:
He was due to be sentenced that afternoon, but Chief Judge Kerry O'Brien said he wanted to give the matter "further thought" and adjourned his decision until February 9.
Prosecutor Victoria Trafford-Walker told the court Eaton and some of his friends decided to "get" the 18-year-old victim at a 2015 Australia Day party in Kedron while he was drunk and passed out.
Eaton, a former surf lifesaving representative and talented Australian rules footballer, held the young man's shoulders while one of his co-accused assaulted him with a beer bottle.
A third held his legs while a fourth filmed the incident.
Ms Trafford-Walker said the video was distributed on social media, but the victim did not learn what occurred until the next day when screenshots were sent to a group chat he was part of.
The teenager contacted police in August after the video was posted.
Ms Trafford-Walker said he told police he had acted online as if he did not care the day after the event because he did not want to appear annoyed.
"But I was actually feeling shocked and thought, 'Holy shit, what the hell'," the court heard.
Michael Byrne QC said Eaton had no criminal history and was intoxicated at the time.
"We understand that's not an excuse but it's an explanation for his participation in an event which is simply not just out of character but contrary to his values, upbringing and history," he said.
Mr Byrne said his client was not involved in the filming or distribution of the material, which was what caused "the real trauma" to the victim, and had shown "deep and genuine remorse".
AAP