Three Sydney men - including a lawyer and a groom-to-be - have pleaded not guilty to the gang rape of three women over two nights during a buck's party weekend at a Newcastle West Airbnb.
Maurice Hawell, a 29-year-old solicitor, and his 21-year-old brother Marius, as well as their mate, Andrew David, the buck from the weekend away last year, appeared in Newcastle District Court on Thursday where they pleaded not guilty to a string of sexual assault offences.
Mr David and Maurice Hawell each pleaded not guilty to nine counts of aggravated sexual assault in company in relation to the alleged rape of three women at an apartment in Parry Street on February 25 and 26 last year.
Marius Hawell pleaded not guilty to six counts of aggravated sexual assault in company and aggravated sexually touching.
The number of alleged victims and accused means the trial is estimated to run between four and six weeks, the court heard, which generally means it would be moved to Sydney's Downing Centre District Court.
However, prosecutors said on Thursday they opposed the venue change because the three alleged victims, "tendency witnesses" and investigating police were all in Newcastle.
Judge Peter McGrath, SC, stood the matter over for a week for a discussion about where and when the trial should be held.
The three men were arrested during raids at properties in Western Sydney in May last year after a 19-year-old woman alleged she was sexually assaulted at the Airbnb in Newcastle West.
But since then, two other women have come forward to make allegations that they were raped over the same weekend at the same apartment.
Police allege all three women met the men at local nightspots before they were brought back to the Airbnb where they were allegedly sexually assaulted in a bedroom with multiple men in the room.
According to court documents, the men are accused of raping two women on February 25 and another on February 26.
