A man has been found guilty of indecent assault and attempting to choke a woman in her home, after a jury dismissed his claim that the encounter was consensual and arranged in exchange for money.

The court heard that the complainant, then 48, was at home on 23 August 2022 when the accused entered her yard uninvited while she was outside feeling unwell.

She said she believed he had left and began doing laundry, but later discovered he was still there. After she refused his offer of help and told him she had nothing to give him, he groped her several times, forced her into the kitchen and demanded sex. When she refused, he choked her.

The woman managed to ask him to step outside to turn off the washing machine, then locked the door. However, CCTV footage showed the man reaching through the louvres to unlock the door and re-enter the house.

She ran outside screaming. The footage showed her on the ground with the accused standing over her before a neighbour intervened and told him to leave.

The accused told the jury the visit had been prearranged and claimed he had paid the woman $90 for sex, returning only to retrieve his money. The jury rejected his account and convicted him on both charges.