Court of Appeal dismisses appeal over rape and sexual assault convictions

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The Court of Appeal dismissed a man's appeal against his convictions for rape and sexual assault, finding no error in the trial judge's decision not to give the jury a corroboration warning.

The court said whether to give such a warning was a discretionary decision for the trial judge, and found nothing special and peculiar about the case that required one. It acknowledged there was no corroboration in the strict legal sense, but rejected the argument that the complainant's evidence was too general or lacked detail. It also said contradictions and inconsistencies in sexual offence cases, particularly those involving children, do not by themselves justify a warning.

The appeal concerned the man's 2023 conviction on one count of rape and 12 counts of sexual assault. The court's judgment was delivered on November 13, 2025.