Former high-profile criminal lawyer Glenn Thexton claims he is the victim of a police witch hunt after he allegedly groped a teenage girl outside a late-night kebab shop in Melbourne.
Thexton, whose once-thriving legal company had offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, pleaded not guilty to sexual assault in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday.
Police allege Thexton, 45, groped a 17-year-old girl outside Queens Kebabs in Melbourne’s bustling King St district just before 11pm on September 25, 2019.
The court heard allegations Thexton sexually assaulted the teenager who was with a group of friends after they left the now-closed Cloud Nine juvenile venue inside the famous Inflation nightclub.
The alleged victim claimed she went to a bar next to the King St kebab shop, where her friends saw she was visibly distressed.
The teenager’s friends asked her what was wrong but she was “too upset” to talk, the court was told.
Allegations that the teenager saw Thexton at the club were also aired in court.
“He touched me, he touched me, he grabbed my ass,” he allegedly said.
Lawyer Glenn Thexton (pictured) allegedly groped a 17-year-old girl on Melbourne’s bustling King St in September 2019.
Former criminal lawyer allegedly groped teen outside Queens Kebabs (pictured)
The alleged victim and his friends also met Thexton outside the location.
“That’s him, that’s him,” he allegedly shouted.
The teen then allegedly pointed at Thexton.
The alleged victim and his friends, including a man the group had previously met on Cloud Nine, confronted Thexton and told him to stay away from the girl.
Thexton allegedly punched the man in the chest before walking away.
The teenager and her friends allegedly followed Thexton through the King St nightclub precinct, where they observed the criminal lawyer attempting to enter the Spearmint Rhino strip club.
The doormen at Spearmint Rhino allegedly denied Thexton entry, so the teenager and her friends watch as the lawyer heads to a second strip club, Centrefold Lounge.
Thexton (pictured) was nationally known and his once-thriving legal business had offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.
Thexton then allegedly drove away from Centrefold before the teenager reported the alleged sexual assault to police.
Investigators pulled down security cameras from outside Queens Kebab before Crime Stoppers issued a wanted notice that allegedly showed Thexton’s image.
Crime Stoppers received a tip about Thexton, who then referred him to police.
Police invited Thexton for an interview on October 16, 2019, where he denied sexually assaulting the girl.
The court heard that the alleged victim had consumed a single Bacardi Breezer on the day of the alleged assault while Thexton was drinking with an employee and her American friend.
Thexton and the American had attended Spearmint Rhino earlier that night, the court was told.
It is also alleged that Thexton arranged a meeting with two employees at the city bar ALIBI – Urban Gastropub on October 9, 2019.
The meeting allegedly occurred just days after Crime Stoppers circulated Thexton’s image and before his police interview.
Thexton appeared at Melbourne Magistrates Court (pictured) for a contested hearing
The prosecution alleged that Thexton arrived at the meeting “disguised” in shorts, a jumper, a cap and thongs and without glasses.
The employees allegedly asked Thexton what was going on and he told them that a friend had tipped him off. Crime Stoppers had made a post with his image and that “it was going to go unnoticed for a while.”
Thexton also allegedly asked one of the employees to pick up and destroy a tie that police suspected he was wearing on the night of the incident and that appeared in the Crime Stoppers image.
Thexton, who represented himself, denies sexually assaulting the girl and a witness has testified that “no tie was destroyed.”
She also denied wearing a costume and told the court she often wore shorts, thongs and a cap as “my routine outfit.”
“It’s not a change in appearance,” Thexton said.
Thexton also claimed the teenager approached him for a cigarette and a statement and left King St in a taxi.
Thexton also said it was “highly inappropriate” for the Crime Stoppers image to be published in the media.
“To cause me shame, to put pressure on me from the police…” he said.
‘It will be alleged by me… (there was) an absolute failure to investigate this matter properly, accusations of inferences of guilt have been devised after the fact…
“This matter has been brought against me for an ulterior purpose. This has not been a case about a sexual assault, your honor, but a case about my closure as a legal practitioner.”
Melbourne’s King St district (pictured) comes to life after dark
Thexton also claimed that the disbanded Victoria Police Purana task force that pursued Tony Mokbel and other Melbourne gangsters arrested him “after this matter arose”.
“It was highly inappropriate for the Purana task force to arrest me… and accuse me of being some type of threat to a law enforcement officer…” he said.
“It was that matter that resulted in the closure of my legal practice in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.”
The contested hearing continues.