Blake Ferguson accuser denies being drunk at time of alleged assault
Date
December 11, 2013 - 12:56PM
Rachel Olding
A young woman who was allegedly indecently assaulted by Blake Ferguson in a Cronulla nightclub has denied she was drunk at the time or that she was taking advantage of the rugby league star's fame.
The woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, told a hearing at Sutherland Local Court that she had had six drinks before going to the 2230 nightclub on June 16, but she denied that she was intoxicated or that her memory may have been affected by the alcohol.
She said Ferguson grabbed her vagina underneath her dress for two to three seconds while she was seated on a couch about 10.30pm.
CCTV footage from the nightclub shows Ferguson drinking beers, hugging and talking with several women and posing for numerous photos with former Canberra Raiders teammate Josh Dugan.
After the alleged incident, which cannot be clearly seen in the footage, she pushes Ferguson away and walks to the bar to speak with a male friend.
The male can be seen confronting Ferguson and talking to him before they put an arm around each other.
The woman said Ferguson laughed at her and didn't apologise immediately after the incident.
Ferguson's lawyer Adam Houda accused her of having an unreliable memory of the incident because she was "highly intoxicated" from drinking three vodkas, one cider and two shots at Northies earlier in the evening.
"I would say no because I drink water in between each drink I have," she said.
She also told the court she didn't know he was a high-profile rugby league player and didn't see him having several photos taken or talking to her friends about State of Origin.
When she was later shown CCTV footage of her "photobombing" or jumping up behind a photo of Ferguson and Dugan, she maintained that she didn't know he was famous.
She said she only found out when she went to the police station to report the incident that night.
Mr Houda suggested that his client touched her upper thigh but "certainly didn't touch your vagina".
"That's incorrect," the woman said.
Ferguson and Dugan were out celebrating their Origin selection for NSW when the alleged incident occurred.
It led to Ferguson, who is currently without a rugby league club, being dumped from the Origin side.
He was fined $10,000 by the Raiders earlier this year and ordered to undergo counselling. The club later sacked him.
Ferguson brought five family members to court to support him.
The hearing continues.
