Julia Gillard’s long-time partner faces criminal charges over sexual assault confession
Julia Gillard’s ex-partner faces a criminal conviction after admitting he sexually assaulted a woman weeks before the former prime minister publicly announced their split.
Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard and her partner Tim Mathieson meet with members of the Australian and Sri Lankan Test Cricket teams at Kirribilli House in Sydney (AAP Image/Quentin Jones)
Tim Mathieson, 66, will face a plea hearing in Melbourne Magistrates Court in October.
Mathieson, who faced court by videolink under the name Raymond Mathieson on Thursday, admits sucking on a woman’s nipple without her consent in East Brunswick in March last year.
Two weeks later Ms Gillard told the Adelaide Advertiser the couple had split more than a year earlier.
She and Mathieson, a former hairdresser, were together for a decade and lived at the The Lodge and Kirribilli House throughout Ms Gillard’s three-year term as prime minister.
Mathieson’s lawyer Brad Penno had asked in a previous hearing for his client to be granted diversion out of the justice system, which would allow him to avoid a criminal conviction.
On Thursday Mr Penno said that had been taken off the table and asked for an adjournment for a pre-sentence hearing.
Mathieson will return to court on October 19.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
