Jury hands down verdict in kidnap, rape case

It took a Warrnambool County Court jury about two hours to deliver a unanimous verdict on Monday.

The 25-year-old South Australian man, who cannot be named because that could identify the complainant, was found not guilty of two counts each of kidnapping and rape.

He was found guilty of a single charge of persistently contravening a family violence intervention order.

The trial commenced on January 25 with the prosecution claiming the man kidnapped his ex-girlfriend for about a week in 2019 - between August 27 and September 2.

The prosecution also claimed he twice raped her while avoiding police throughout south-west Victoria and south-east South Australia during a week-long manhunt.

Judge Michael Cahill said the jury was satisfied the man and the complainant were together for a week in 2019 but that she wasn't taken against her will and the sex was consensual.

The man served more than two years and five months in custody on remand awaiting trial.

He entered guilty pleas to an additional two charges of conduct endangering persons.

The court heard that on August 27 2019, he filmed himself driving near Dartmoor at 180 km/h with no hands on the steering wheel and saying: "I am dangerous".

Two days later he evaded police during an attempted intercept, crossing onto the wrong side of the road and driving at speeds up to 100 km/h in a built-up area.

Judge Cahill said the woman was reported missing and the pair was on the run from police.

He said the man had a criminal history including breaching intervention orders and serious driving offences.

The court heard the man had a disadvantaged upbringing, involving child abuse, family violence and illicit drug use.

He was jailed for 18 months, which he has already served on remand, and was released from custody.

Earlier, 1pm Friday: The jury has been sent home for the weekend.

Jurors commenced brief deliberations about 12.40pm and have now been sent home for the weekend.

They will return to consider their verdict at 11am Monday.

Earlier: The defence counsel for a 25-year-old man charged with kidnapping and raping his ex-girlfriend claims the complainant lied in her evidence.

The South Australian man, who cannot be named because that would identify the complainant, allegedly kidnapped his ex-girlfriend for about a week in 2019 - between August 27 and September 2.

The prosecution claims he twice raped her while avoiding police throughout south-west Victoria and south-east South Australia during a week-long manhunt.

He has pleaded not guilty in the Warrnambool County Court trial.

Barrister Gabriel Chipkin told a Warrnambool jury in a closing address his client was innocent.

Mr Chipkin said the complainant was not held against her will and the pair had consensual sex.

He said being raped and kidnapped was "the perfect cover story" to hide that the complainant was with the accused while being in a relationship with someone else, who was in custody for offences of violence.

Mr Chipkin claimed the woman had fabricated a similar story earlier that month and told police she was transported to hospital by ambulance.

But he said there was "not a shred of paperwork" to verify her story.

"No ambulance records, no hospital records," he told the jury.

"Doesn't that strike you as fundamentally inexplicable?"

Mr Chipkin urged jurors to look closely at affectionate text messages sent by the complainant to the accused man in the lead up to the offending.

Crown prosecutor Robyn Harper agreed the complainant earlier alleged the man kidnapped and raped her but that it wasn't part of the prosecution case because it happened interstate.

She said that allegation showed the man had the tendency to take the complainant and have sex with her against her will, which Ms Harper said happened during the seven-day alleged kidnap.

Ms Harper said the complainant was a credible witness, who told the jury about her extreme fear of the accused man and became emotional during cross-examination.

She said that in the 24 hours before the alleged kidnapping, the man sent a text message to a family member saying the complainant wasn't safe and he was "going to snap and do crazy things".

Ms Harper said that from August 27, the complainant had nothing in her possession but two phones, a charger, lip-gloss, wallet and dog treats.

"That's not someone who has packed for a seven-day trip or planning to go on the run," she said.

"It is just not plausible to suggest that in these circumstances she'd agreed to go with the accused man."

Judge Michael Cahill is expected to give his judge's charge on Friday morning and the jury will then retire for deliberations.

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