A woman who accused a would-be Olympic equestrian rider of stalking her after an alleged rape has claimed his girlfriend tried to run her off the road, a court has been told. Elite rider Callum Buczak, 29, and his girlfriend Alexandra McDonough, 30, are charged with stalking and harassing the woman following an alleged rape in February 2019.
It is alleged Mr Buczak stalked the woman between February 28 and December 6 last year and “encouraged†his girlfriend to trace her online activity.
During the committal hearing into the stalking and harassment allegations at the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday lawyers quizzed the alleged victim’s father about the accusation which has not resulted in any charges against Ms McDonough.
Defence lawyer Damian Sheales asked the man whether he was aware of his daughter’s claim to police that Ms McDonough tried to “run her down while she was out jogging†in April last year.
The woman did it while having an Italian greyhound in her lap, the court was told.
“I’m pretty sure I do remember her being very upset and being in tears and saying ‘Dad they are after me’,†the father told the court.
But Mr Sheales said at the time of the alleged incident Ms McDonough was “unarguably†300km away.
“If that was phone records maybe the phone was there and she wasn’t,†the father replied.
The exchange became heated when the father was quizzed about whether his daughter’s claims were untrue
“No absolutely not – categorically – I take offence at the inference,†the man said.
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The court was told the alleged rape victim and Mr Buczak were known to each other.
The dad was earlier questioned about a phone call he made to Ms McDonough’s workplace telling them she was using social media to harass his daughter.
“I was concerned one of their employees was harassing my daughter, using their equipment,” he told the Melbourne Magistrates Court.
The man was also quizzed about whether he threatened the riding equipment store with bad publicity in an attempt to destroy Mr Buczak’s sponsorship deal.
“Why did you do that if it wasn’t to damage him?†Mr Sheales said.
“I guess, as a journalist, I was informing her or inquiring of her that (the rider) was the subject of a police investigation of a sexual assault,†the father said.
It comes a day after the pair’s defence claimed the accuser had a “vendetta” against the equestrian rider and told the court the sex was consensual.
Mr Buczak has pleaded not guilty to the alleged rape of the woman and will face a trial at a later date.
Ms McDonough is accused of stalking her boyfriend’s accuser using Instagram.
Both are fighting the allegations.
The committal will resume on Wednesday.
