Information reaching Kossyderrickent has it that Outrage in Australia as National Broadcasters have to link Julia Gillard and Tim Mathieson who has advised he will plead guilty to sexual assault in court
Tim Mathieson is accused of sexually touching the woman by sucking her nipple without her consent at Brunswick East in Melbourne’s inner-city on March 13 last year.
Mathieson – known during Ms Gillard’s reign as Australia’s ‘first bloke’ – appeared via videolink in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday when his barrister indicated he would plead guilty to a single sex offence.
Further details of that sexual assault remain unknown, with two other related charges to be withdrawn as part of an anticipated deal with prosecutors. Mathieson’s barrister Brad Penno told the court his client would plead at his next appearance if prosecutors went through with its plans to withdraw the other charges.
‘It is resolvable on the basis Mr Mathieson will plead guilty to charge one on the basis that charges two and three be withdrawn,’ he said.
‘If that’s accurate I’d expect the prosecution to make an application along those lines,’ he said.
The charge states Mathieson ‘intentionally sexually touched [the victim] by sucking her nipple without her consent in circumstances where the accused did not reasonably believe that [the victim] consented to the touching.’
Mr Penno said he hoped to have Mathieson dealt with via the court’s diversion program.
Under Victorian law, diversion plans are often handed down to first-time offenders and are designed not to impact on a person’s life going forward.
The prosecution said it required at least two weeks to determine whether a diversion of the remaining charge was an “appropriate course” to take.
This course, the court heard, would also require consultation with the complainant.
He was charged on summons.
Mathieson made no comment to waiting media as he left his lawyers’ Melbourne CBD office in a white ute.
Magistrate Roslyn Porter ordered the matter to return to court in August. Mathieson, also known as Raymond Timothy Mathieson, appeared via video link from his lawyer Brad Penno’s office, wearing a suit and tie, where he asked that a diversion be considered.
Penno said his client would plead guilty to charge one – a single count of sexual touching without consent – if charges two and three were withdrawn. Prosecutors then withdrew the second and third charges.
“I can say that the matters have resolved,” Penno said.
There is no suggestion the matter relates to Gillard. Mathieson lived with Gillard in the Lodge in Canberra when she was prime minister, but Gillard revealed in March 2022 that the couple had split some time earlier.
