A Huntingdale man accused of sexual assault has denied the charges in an expletive-filled appearance before the Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court.

Christos Papathanasiou, 42, faced court via video link on April 11, charged with two counts of sexually touching a woman without consent in Caulfield on April 1.

Court documents also allege he was in possession of cannabis, cannabidiol oil, and a weapon on the same day.

Rejecting legal aid, Papathanasiou told Magistrate Angela Bolger he planned to represent himself, saying he did not want to “waste taxpayers’ money” and insisted, “I know what I’m talking about.”

During the hearing, Papathanasiou repeatedly declared the allegations were “all f–king lies” and said, “I don’t give a f–k,” multiple times, adding, “I’ll be the judge of you on your day too.”

He had previously been denied bail on April 2 but indicated he would reapply. His next court appearance is scheduled for April 14.

Source: Herald Sun.

Stella Magnisalis has delivered a powerful victim impact statement detailing years of violent abuse by her former husband, ex-police detective Matthew Alan Thomson, who pleaded guilty to six assault charges in the South Australian District Court.

Magnisalis told the court on Tuesday, April 15, that Thomson’s abuse spanned four years and continued even while she was pregnant.

“My silence was not consent. I was trained to be obedient, to hide my pain,” she said.

“You broke things to scare me, and eventually I was one of them. My home became a prison and I lived in constant fear. To this day, I still believe that you’re going to kill me.”

She described how Thomson, while working in the family violence sector, inflicted physical and psychological torment, including kicking her in the head and covering her body in bruises.

“Even while I was pregnant, the assaults never stopped. I thought carrying a child might spare me,” she said.

“Every year on my birthday, I cannot erase the smell, the texture, feeling utterly degraded after you wiped faeces on my face.”

According to The Advertiser, supporters applauded as she concluded her statement.

Their eight-year-old daughter Frances also addressed the court, recalling how Thomson once gave her a blood nose and calling his actions “disgusting, gross and unacceptable.”

Thomson, now 42, lives in Queensland with a new wife and newborn son. His lawyer cited a violent upbringing, but Judge Anthony Allen said his role as a serving police officer at the time of the abuse aggravated the offences.

“There needs to be an element of sentence that denounces the fact that someone who’s responsible for enforcing the law has broken it,” Judge Allen said.

Sentencing is set for June.

Source: The Advertiser.

Daniel Menelaou, a former Adelaide youth pastor now facing charges in the United States of possession of child abuse material, previously ran wellbeing programs at two South Australian schools while employed by Futures Church.

According to The Advertiser, Salisbury High School acting principal Danni Margan informed families in a letter dated April 10 that Menelaou had visited the school on June 21, 2022, March 3, 2023, and June 15, 2023.

He attended in his capacity with Futures Church, formerly known as Influencers Church, as part of lunchtime and wellbeing initiatives.

“Due to the nature of the lunchtime and wellbeing program activities being conducted in open areas and visible to school staff, we do not believe any child at the school was put at risk,” the letter stated.

“The information available to the school at this time suggests that there is no need for any concern for any child at our school.”

An Education Department spokesperson said letters were issued at two Adelaide schools where Menelaou had been present, “out of an abundance of caution.”

“There is no reason to believe any child at either school was put at risk,” the spokesperson added, noting information about support services was made available to concerned families.

Menelaou, 28, worked across multiple Futures Church campuses in South Australia from 2018 before relocating to Alpharetta, Georgia, where he held a similar role.

In early March, he was arrested in the US after a tip-off alleged he had shared sexually explicit videos involving children via a messaging app.

Authorities seized electronic devices, and he was charged with possession of child abuse material.

He was granted bail in late March after paying almost $200,000 to secure his release.

Futures Church, which has campuses in both Australia and the US, responded to the arrest, stating they were “horrified” by the charges and “categorically condemn these (alleged) actions in the strongest possible terms.”

Source: The Advertiser.