Maurice Hawell, a Sydney lawyer convicted over the gang rapes of three teenage women during his buck’s weekend, was only remorseful for his own situation and showed no empathy towards his victims, a judge says.
Maurice Hawell, 30, Marius Hawell, 23, and Andrew David, 30, were all found guilty of the sexual assaults in July after a joint trial lasting almost four weeks.
The trio raped the three women, who cannot be legally identified, over two consecutive days in February 2022 during a buck’s weekend at a rented Airbnb in Newcastle before Maurice Hawell’s wedding.
During a sentence hearing at Sydney’s Downing Centre district court on Wednesday, Judge Gina O’Rourke raised questions about Maurice Hawell’s prospects of rehabilitation as he had only expressed remorse about his own situation.
“None of the remorse or empathy or insight is directed with any of them towards the victims,” she said.
Maurice Hawell maintained his not-guilty pleas to the litany of charges brought against him and planned on appealing against his conviction, the judge noted.
His barrister, Richard Pontello SC, argued people might be reluctant to admit their involvement in crimes of this nature out of shame and embarrassment.
He said the judge might also be perplexed as to how someone like Maurice Hawell with a “really outstanding character” became involved in the offences.
Maurice Hawell had volunteered at Meals on Wheels and with his Catholic parish, and had an Atar of 97, the court was told.
O’Rourke noted the Sydney lawyer had intellect, was educated and had a career.
“And then he did this,” she said.
Maurice Hawell watched the hearing by video link from Parklea jail wearing prison greens and a silver crucifix necklace, while his family and other supporters filled the courtroom’s public gallery.
After having consensual sex on a Friday in February 2022, two 18-year-old victims went to retrieve their phones from a darkened bedroom where they were pushed on to the bed, stripped and “swarmed” by naked men.
While describing exactly who performed which sexual act was impossible because the room was dark, the three men were convicted as part of a joint criminal agreement to rape and sexually touch the women.
On the following night, a 19-year-old said she entered the apartment on the pretext of drinks but was raped by Maurice Hawell and David, who took turns swapping sexual positions.
Marius Hawell came into the room and watched.
The jury delivered guilty verdicts on a total of 10 charges, including multiple counts of aggravated sexual assault in company relating to all three women.
The trio will be sentenced on 31 October.
