Jury deliberates in masseur abuse case
A Queensland jury will return to deliberations in the case against a Thai masseur on trial for raping and sexually abusing a woman.
Phanasak Chokmahaporn, also known as "Mr Big", has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting and raping the woman during a lymphatic drainage massage at the Chi Link clinic in Chermside, north of Brisbane in February 2011.
The Brisbane District Court this week heard Chokmahaporn handed the woman a business card with his nickname written on it after an appointment with him several weeks prior to the alleged incident.
During her lymphatic drainage massage, he allegedly stroked her groin, pinched her nipples and inserted a finger into her vagina.
Chokmahaporn testified on Wednesday and flatly denied the allegations.
His defence barrister argued there were three other Asian men of similar appearance working at the clinic on the day in question and the complainant couldn't be sure it was Chokmahaporn who gave her the massage.
Crown Prosecutor Clayton Willis said it "defied belief" there were two men involved and Chokmahaporn had the qualifications to be alone in a trusted position with the woman.
Judge Michael Rackemann asked jurors to retire just before 4pm (AEST) on Thursday, urging them to make reasonable and rational inferences from the evidence.
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