George Burgess found not guilty of groping woman
By Sarah McPhee
Former NRL player George Burgess has been found not guilty by a magistrate of groping a woman during an 11-minute visit to her Sydney apartment to deliver a signed football club jersey for charity, leaving the complainant devastated.
Burgess, 32, had admitted to being romantically interested in the woman at the time and making an advance, including telling her “be naughty with me” and “nothing’s ever happened between us, but something should”.
George Burgess outside court earlier this year.Credit: Kate Geraghty
However, Burgess pleaded not guilty to sexually touching another person without consent, denying he had repeatedly squeezed the woman’s bottom during the visit to her home on March 8, 2022.
In Downing Centre Local Court on Friday, magistrate Emma Manea found Burgess not guilty of the offence.
“I do not accept all of his evidence, but I don’t reject it. I have difficulty accepting his evidence, but I think some of it might be true,” the magistrate said.
“In accordance, I must acquit. I have doubt and that must flow to the accused, and he’s not guilty.”
Burgess made 149 appearances for South Sydney and also played 15 Tests for England.Credit: Getty
Burgess appeared via video link, which the magistrate noted had been requested by the defence in advance and approved with the consent of the prosecution.
The complainant sat in the public gallery with supporters.
Following the magistrate’s decision, she said, “What have you done for women?” and cried.
Outside court after the acquittal, the woman spoke about the ordeal of bringing the complaint. She said she had turned her life upside down and had cameras shoved in her face.
“It sucks, it sucks. I tried to do the right thing,” the complainant said.
“Every day we are shocked by the media and what we see. It sucks what we’ve experienced and what we’re experiencing as women.”
The court previously heard the woman, who had known Burgess for some time, contacted him and two of his brothers seeking signed football club jerseys for charity.
The complainant gave evidence that she was left feeling “violated” after Burgess arrived at her house with a Dragons jersey and allegedly “leaned in and tried to kiss” her, pressed himself up against her in the kitchen, and “grabbed both my butt cheeks”.
In a police walk-through video, played in court, the woman told officers she had asked Burgess if he wanted a cup of tea “to try and defuse the situation” and also chatted to him on the lounge.
She gave evidence she had asked Burgess, “Are you still married?” and he replied “yes” before adding “but you know how it is”. Burgess has since split from his wife.
In his evidence, Burgess said he joked he would see the woman “in another 10 years or next time you need a jersey” and went home. CCTV captured him at the apartment block between 10.24am and 10.35am.
The magistrate said Burgess’ own evidence had “painted him in an unfavourable light”, as he was married at the time, and his concessions made his testimony “more plausible”.
The court heard he sent the woman a “horny devil emoji” on Snapchat after he left, which he said “was an acknowledgement of the fact that I’d been a bit cheeky, been a bit flirty”.
Burgess said he was shocked when the woman levelled the allegation against him and apologised, but it was not an admission to grabbing her bottom.
The woman reported it to police. The magistrate said the first person the complainant spoke to after the incident was a man with whom she had been in an on-and-off relationship, but that man told police he had “memory loss” about the conversation and declined to provide a statement or any messages.
Burgess relied on his prior good character, as he had no dishonesty or sexual offences on his record.
The incident occurred days before Burgess’ short-lived NRL return with St George Illawarra.
Burgess made 149 appearances for South Sydney and also played 15 Tests for England. He retired from rugby league at the end of 2022 and has recently been working at a property investment firm.
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