- In short: The ex-partner of former prime minister Julia Gillard will plead guilty to a sexual assault charge
- What’s next? Tim Mathieson is scheduled to face court again in late August
Tim Mathieson, the ex-partner of former prime minister Julia Gillard, has indicated he will admit to sexually abusing a woman by touching her without consent.
WARNING: This story contains details of sexual assault allegations.
On Thursday, lawyers for Mr Mathieson told the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court he will plead guilty to a charge of sexual assault.
Charge sheets released by the court reveal Mr Mathieson, who is also known as Raymond Timothy Mathieson, was charged with sexual assault by Victoria Police on May 25 this year.
The charge sheet states that Mr Mathieson “intentionally sexually touched [the complainant] by sucking her nipple without her consent in circumstances where the accused did not reasonably believe that [the complainant] consented to the touching”.
The date of the offence took place in the Melbourne suburb of Brunswick East on March 13, 2022.
Victoria Police’s sexual offences and child abuse investigation team (SOCIT) originally charged Mr Mathieson with three offences.
However prosecutors dropped two of the charges on Thursday, after Mr Mathieson’s lawyer told the court he would agree to plead guilty to sexual assault.
Details of the discontinued charges were not released by the court.
“I do confirm that only the one charge of sexual assault is proceeding, and the two other charges have been struck out today by the court,” Magistrate Roslyn Porter said.
Mr Mathieson’s lawyer Brad Penno made a further request for Mr Mathieson to be granted a diversion order, which would enable him to avoid a criminal record.
Police will now consider that request after speaking with the unnamed victim, but a magistrate will have the final say.
The case was adjourned until August 31.
Mr Mathieson did not attend the hearing in-person, instead viewing proceedings from his lawyer’s office 200 metres away from the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court.
Dressed in a suit and tie, he sat at the back of the room and was not required to speak during the hearing.
Mr Mathieson made no comment as he left his lawyer’s office, and was driven away in a white ute.
The professional hairdresser was previously in a long-term relationship with Ms Gillard, Australia’s first female prime minister.
In 2022, it was reported that the couple had been separated for more than a year.
A spokesperson from Ms Gillard’s office said she would not be commenting on the matter.