The court case against Lions defence coach Joey Mongalo over allegations of indecent assault has got underway in Australia.
Earlier this year, Mongalo was accused of, and subsequently charged with, allegedly indecently assaulting a female hotel staff member in a stairwell three days after the Lions’ match against the Waratahs in April.
The Downing Centre Local Court heard on Thursday that Mongalo allegedly forced the hotel employee to touch him indecently, while he stuck a finger in her mouth.
Giving evidence, a friend of the woman relayed what she had been told the day after the incident.
‘As they went into the stairwell she said that he started saying strange things about Anzac Day coming up,’ the friend said.
The hotel staff member is then alleged to have asked Mongalo ‘why are you staring at me?’, to which the friend said in evidence that he responded by saying something like, ‘I want you.’
Mongalo is accused of then grabbing the woman’s hand and placing it on his ‘private area, which was erect and outside his clothing’, before then putting a finger from his free hand into her mouth.
Photo: Lee Warren/Gallo Images
