Perth bikie Troy Mercanti is no longer facing charges after a woman who accused him of “backhanding” her and sexually assaulting her at his Karrinyup home last week withdrew her accusations.
The 56-year-old’s lawyer Paul Holmes appeared on his behalf in Perth Magistrates Court on Thursday, where he was told the complainant in the matter no longer wanted to proceed with the allegations.
Perth bikie Troy Mercanti has had rape and assault charges against him dropped.Credit: Ezra Holt
Earlier in the week, the same court heard confronting allegations about what happened after the woman met Mercanti and Perth businessman John Kizon on a night out in Northbridge on May 2.
The court was told the group left the nightclub and went back to Mercanti’s mother’s Karrinyup home, where the victim and Mercanti consumed alcohol and cocaine.
Prosecutors alleged Mercanti then digitally raped the woman, “backhanded her” to the face, and then forced himself on the woman in a bathroom.
The woman told police she only escaped because someone opened the door to the bathroom. The victim allegedly said, “please, please, help me”, before escaping to a neighbour’s house and calling for help.
Prosecutors tried to keep Mercanti locked up while the matter proceeded through the legal system, telling the court the victim was scared for her life due to Mercanti’s bikie associations.
“He carries significant influence with other members … that could assist him with influencing witnesses on his behalf,” they said on Monday.
Police also told the magistrate the woman felt as though there had been an “implied threat to her safety” after she received social media messages after Mercanti’s arrest from people “trying to get her personal information and current whereabouts”.
At the time, prosecutors said the woman “felt scared”.
“This is going to be the end of me, i’m going to be killed,” she told police.
Despite that information, Mercanti was released on bail on Monday after spending the weekend at Hakea Prison.
On Thursday, the court awarded him $1502 in costs after the charges were discontinued.
“WA Police respects the decision of the complainant, and will reassess this matter should the complainant choose to pursue the complaint in the future,” a police spokesperson said.
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