In R v WCC [2024] QCA 88, the appellant, WCC, was originally convicted of one count of sexual assault and three counts of rape in the District Court at Brisbane on 16 November 2023. However, following an appeal, the Court of Appeal allowed the appeal, set aside the guilty verdicts, and ordered a re-trial on 21 May 2024. The grounds for appeal included misdirection by the trial judge regarding jury instructions on the appellant’s statements, inconsistency in verdicts across different counts, and the unreasonableness of the verdict due to the improbability of the complainant's account. The appeal contended that the trial judge failed to adequately guide the jury on key evidentiary considerations, leading to potential miscarriage of justice. The Court of Appeal found merit in these concerns, particularly highlighting issues with how the jury was directed to evaluate the appellant’s statements and the consistency of the verdicts based on the evidence.
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