Former Bronco not guilty of rape in pub toilet, admits sexual assault
Former NRL player Teui 'TC' Robati has been found not guilty of raping a woman at a pub.
After the verdict was handed down on Wednesday, Robati pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a different woman in a separate incident.
The 23-year-old remained in court for sentencing on that charge – which was not part of the trial – after being found not guilty on two rape counts.
The ex-Brisbane Broncos second-rower had pleaded not guilty to raping a woman twice in the disabled toilet of a pub in the inner-Brisbane suburb of Fortitude Valley on December 11, 2022.
The District Court jury had deliberated for a total of nine hours since Tuesday following a trial lasting 1½ days before Judge William Everson.
Crown prosecutor Isabelle MacNicol earlier alleged Robati lured the woman into a toilet promising access to an exclusive event before raping her.
Defence barrister David Funch previously told the jury it would not be an issue at the trial that his client was at the pub.
'It is accepted that sexual interaction occurred,' he said.
Funch said an important issue would be a 'mistake of fact'.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

News.com.au
13 hours ago
- News.com.au
Ezra Mam's raw admission on Spencer Leniu saga and car crash that causes mass outrage
Broncos star Ezra Mam has opened up about the car crash that left a woman and child injured as well as what was said between him and Spencer Leniu, ending a feud that stemmed from the Las Vegas racism saga. Last October, Mam made headlines for all the wrong reasons after his ute crashed into an Uber at Bardon, just outside of Brisbane injuring a woman and child. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. Mam passed the breathalyser test, but a roadside drug swap returned a positive reading to cocaine. Mam pleaded guilty to one count of driving while relevant drug is present in the blood and driving without a licence. But while the Magistrate was relatively lenient, the NRL was less so. The 22-year-old was slapped with a combined $120,000 in fines from the NRL and the Broncos and was handed a nine-game ban. Speaking about the ordeal, Mam says the whole experience has given him a different outlook on life, acknowledging in hindsight that he was previously very selfish. 'In hindsight, I didn't think about how my actions can impact others,' he said in an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald. 'Obviously I'm trying my best to learn from that now, I'm here to make better decisions for myself. There's no excuse for my actions, I've got to own that now. 'I'm still learning to deal with everything. I feel very remorseful for everything that happened. 'For me, I was dealing with stuff in the wrong way. I need to learn from that. That's how I grow as a person. Experiences like this, you can take a lot away from it and I feel like I've taken a lot away from this situation to improve myself in many different ways.' Mam returned to the NRL for the Broncos against the Dragons in round 11 and was back to his scintillating best. Such was the strength of his performances that he was called into Billy Slater's Queensland squad for Origin Game 2. Mam was named 18th man for Game 2. And it incredibly allowed him to put another saga behind him, the feud with Blues enforcer Spencer Leniu. Vision from after Game 2 on Wednesday showed Leniu approach Queensland's 18th man after full-time, with the pair engaging in a brief conversation that ended in an embrace. You can watch the moment in the player at the top of the page. The touching moment showed they have seemingly finally buried the hatched some 16 months after Leniu labelled Mam a 'monkey' in the Las Vegas season opener between the Roosters and Broncos in 2024. Leniu copped an eight-match ban for the slur which he insisted was unintentional and was nothing more than 'one brown man saying something to another brown man'. But in a great show of character, after full-time, Leniu sought out Mam to bury the hatchet and clear the air with the Broncos star. And Mam revealed he has accepted Leniu's apology and says it is all in the past now. 'We were able to have a chat and put everything behind us. I won't go into much detail about what was said, but I'm happy he came up to me and we're able to move forward now and get on with the year,' Mam told SMH.

ABC News
14 hours ago
- ABC News
Police launch search and rescue in Childers for missing man Glenn Courtis
A search and rescue operation has been launched in regional Queensland for a missing man, after a car was found abandoned in Childers. Police said the car, a dark-coloured 2016 Citroen C4, was found on Chews Road in Childers, about 325 kilometres north of Brisbane, after lunchtime on Friday. It was not reported to officers until yesterday afternoon. Police said the owner of the car, Howard man Glenn Courtis, 61, has not been found. Emergency services, including SES personnel, began searching bushland near Chews Road and surrounding areas this morning. Investigators have appealed to Mr Courtis, or to anyone with further information, to contact police.

Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘I shouldn't have driven': Ezra Mam reflects on that crash, Leniu, and the lessons learned
'Definitely. We've had a chat, and we're comfortable with each other now,' Mam says. 'The biggest thing is that we addressed it. I feel for Spencer, too, it would not have been an easy thing to deal with, either. 'I really respect him for coming up to me and we can move on from that. If we are ever in the same team, I wouldn't have a problem.' Footage of that Leniu embrace sparked a fresh slew of headlines. Mam has been no stranger to them in his young career. Not all of them have been positive. Few figures in Australian sport have ridden a rollercoaster quite like Mam's past 24 months. In the 2023 grand final, for all but the last 20 minutes, the Brisbane playmaker was the best on ground. However, a late Nathan Cleary masterclass wrenched away not only a premiership ring, but also a Clive Churchill medal. Then there was the Leniu incident, and the media storm that ensued. Yet nothing could prepare him for what was to come. On October 18, 2024, Mam was behind the wheel of his ute when it collided with an Uber at Bardon. A child and a woman suffered minor injuries and while Mam tested positive to cocaine at a roadside drug test, he passed the breathalyser test with no alcohol involved in the incident. The 22-year-old pleaded guilty in Brisbane Magistrates Court to one count of driving while relevant drug is present in blood, and driving without a licence. He left court with a suspended license and $850 lighter, but without a conviction. The NRL and the Broncos then applied sanctions of their own, totalling fines of $120,000, as well as a nine-game ban. When asked about what he has learnt from the incident, he offered: 'In hindsight, I didn't think about how my actions can impact others. 'Obviously I'm trying my best to learn from that now, I'm here to make better decisions for myself. 'There's no excuse for my actions, I've got to own that now. I'm still learning to deal with everything. I feel very remorseful for everything that happened. 'For me, I was dealing with stuff in the wrong way. I need to learn from that. That's how I grow as a person. Experiences like this, you can take a lot away from it and I feel like I've taken a lot away from this situation to improve myself in many different ways.' In handing down his sentence, Magistrate Mark Nolan chided Mam for taking 'a cocktail of cocaine and other matters that were found in your blood'. It is a comment that has been seized upon in much of the subsequent reporting, and prompted some commentators to conclude the penalties were insufficient. While Mam makes no excuses for his behaviour, he clarified that the only substances detected in his blood outside of cocaine were 'Paracetamol and Ibuprofen', which were administered to him at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital. 'I shouldn't have driven,' he says. 'There was cocaine in my system, 0.01mg in my blood, which was from days earlier. That's my biggest regret, I wish I had not done that in the first place.' 'There's no excuse for my actions, I've got to own that now. I'm still learning to deal with everything.' Ezra Mam on the crash incident On legal advice, Mam has not been able to reach out directly to the victims of the accident. 'To be honest, I was more worried about everyone else than myself,' he says when asked if he feared his Broncos contract would be torn up. 'I just wanted to care for others in the accident, how they were first and foremost … 'For me now it's about getting back to who the real Ezra is. Doing the little things on and off the field the right way, continually working on myself to be a better person on and off the field. 'For me, I want that final goal, which is the grand final premiership. And to be a role model, for kids to look up to.' The last comment resonates. The personal growth Mam has undertaken since the incident hasn't been lost on Michael Maguire. The Brisbane coach believes a leader is emerging after witnessing the transformation Mam has undertaken after stints in rehab and on a job site. 'He's found a higher appreciation of what he does, what he's fortunate to do,' Maguire says. 'That's where I've seen him grow, he's actually a really good fella. 'As he goes through this period, he will learn how to lead, not just through the organisation, but also his own people of the Torres Strait Island. 'And then there's the community of young men navigating life. He will be able to tell the story of how he has had to deal with adversity in a big way. 'The way he communicates and does things, he has an opportunity to influence many. Influence is the big word I always talk about.' During his sabbatical, Mam undertook labouring work. The experience of concreting, carpentry and Queensland Cup – Mam initially returned to football via Souths Logan – was a humbling one. 'It was a really good experience for myself,' he says. 'I'd wake up at 4:30am to train at 5am and then shoot over to work. I'd work from 6:30-7am to about 3:30-4pm and then be back to the gym. 'For me it was a big couple of months. A bit of carpentry, concreting, bit of everything. I learnt a lot of skills on the way. Coming back into Q Cup, working every day, I'm privileged to be doing what I love doing. 'As he goes through this period, he will learn how to lead, not just through the organisation, but also his own people of the Torres Strait Island.' Broncos coach Michael Maguire 'That's what I've been doing since I was a young kid, I'm very fortunate to be back playing and doing what I love to do.' Just four NRL games into Mam's return, Queensland coach Billy Slater called him into his wider squad for Origin II. The decision hasn't gone down well with everyone, particularly those who believe he should have paid a greater penance. Loading 'I'm really self-focused on the moment, looking to better myself,' he says. 'I appreciate that others may be upset. I can't control other people's thoughts, all I can do is hopefully start to rebuild some integrity over time with my actions. If I'm allowed to play, obviously I'll play. 'I was very surprised and grateful for the [Maroons] opportunity and took it with both hands. 'When [Slater] calls, it's hard to deny a chance to go into the Origin squad, you always say yes. It was a good experience for me.' During a career that has spanned just 60 games, Mam has already endured a bumpy ride. The destination remains unknown, but he is excited about what comes next.