A party at their home, a married couple was found guilty of raping a fifteen-year-old girl, and they clutched each other in the dock.
Lee Kathleen Hili and Christopher Luke Hili entered not guilty pleas to one crime of exposing a child to an indecent act, one count of rape, and one count of exposing a child to an obscene film.
In addition, Christopher Hili entered a not guilty plea to two charges of giving cannabis to minors.
Following a five-day trial, the jury deliberated for around two hours before returning its verdicts, finding both defendants guilty on all charges.
Lee Hili cried out “no” as her husband was found guilty by the jury.
Chris Hili turned to face a fan in the public gallery.
As the jury returned guilty convictions against her, Lee Hili broke down in tears and cried all through the trial.
The victim did not provide any forensic medical or DNA evidence; instead, her testimony was pre-recorded and played in private court.
Two 15-year-old girls had attended an evening party at the Hilis’ 12-hectare Gold Coast house in December 2021, according to Crown Prosecutor Melissa Wilson.
“Christopher Hili rolled a joint of cannabis and offered it to the girls and they smoked it,” Wilson explained.
She added that one of the females had vomited and had to be escorted downstairs to lie down because the other girls had also drunk alcohol.
Wilson claimed that while the girl’s friend was downstairs, Lee Hili began to ask “inappropriate” inquiries regarding one of the girl’s sexual preferences and experiences.
She questioned her age and whether or not she was bisexual. Wilson reported that the girl replied, “It’s not bisexual, she’s only fifteen.”
According to the prosecutor, the girl was led downstairs by the Hilis and mistook her for her friend, but she was actually led to the bedroom of the pair.
The girl claimed that when Christopher Hili began caressing her, she passed out and that she woke up while he was abusing her sexually and Lee Hili was petting her hair.
The girl claimed that after crying and hearing him tell her to keep quiet, she passed out once more and woke up to find Lee Hili attacking her while the Hilis were having sex and a pornographic film was on the bedroom TV.
Lee Hili declined to attack the girl or to be there when she was attacked when she decided to testify in court on her own behalf.
Additionally, she stated that a few days before to the victim’s mother reporting the sexual assault to the police, the mother of the victim paid the couple a visit and requested $50,000 in exchange for avoiding “trouble”.
Earlier on Friday, Christopher Hili’s defence attorney advised the jury to consider the victim’s “unspoken words” because she had not brought up Lee Hili’s numerous tattoos when speaking with police.
After the jury returned its judgement, Judge Paul Freeburn postponed the couple’s joint sentencing until June 20.
After being granted bail both before and during the trial, the couple was placed in jail pending trial.
