The Queensland Court of Appeal held that where the jury acquitted the appellant of rape and indecent dealing but convicted of deprivation of liberty, the verdicts were inconsistent because the acquittals necessarily raised a reasonable doubt about whether the appellant honestly and reasonably believed the complainant consented to remain in the room, and no direction on that issue had been given; accordingly the deprivation of liberty conviction was quashed and a verdict of acquittal entered. The conviction for assault occasioning bodily harm was upheld on the basis that the evidence provided a rational basis for the jury to convict on that count independently of the sexual offence allegations. The sentence on the assault count was reduced from three years to two years imprisonment as the original sentence was manifestly excessive, having been based in part on the deprivation of liberty finding.
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