A mental health charity worker accused of torturing and assaulting her elderly business partner has denied attacking the man, saying she is “confident” the charges will not hold weight in court.
Karli Eterna Deity has been accused of continuously assaulting the man over “a series of days” during an alleged incident at Scarborough, northeast of Brisbane, last year after he fell down the stairs at the property.
Ms Deity is facing charges of torture, serious assault and assault occasioning bodily harm.
During a bail application at Brisbane Supreme Court on Thursday, Ms Deity disputed the complainant’s account, saying she was contacted by the same man after he fell down the stairs.
She said she had a “consistent” connection with police that would be shown in the brief of evidence.
“I’m pretty confident those charges will not hold weight in the court, so to speak,” Ms Deity, who represented herself, told the court.
Police allege the man, 67, was found with significant injuries when emergency services were called to the Oxley Ave property in Scarborough on November 18 last year.
Ms Deity has been charged with one count each of torture and serious assault and five counts of assault occasioning bodily harm
The court was told the complainant had alleged in a statement that he had fallen down the stairs before Ms Deity arrived at the property, staying for several days during which she “continuously assaulted” him.
He further alleges Ms Deity received money from him under threat.
Ms Deity has denied assaulting the man and is fighting the charges, citing medical evidence the complainant had previous injuries from falling down the stairs.
She said she would not “entertain” the “fantasy” regarding the alleged monetary demands.
“It’s blatant in the statement he’s had injuries prior to even contacting me on that day,” Ms Deity explained.
The court was told the pair were business partners in a mental health practice run by Ms Deity.
She said she did not want further backlash against accusations made by the complainant for the protection of her family.
“I was going to make him a director of the company … he ran errands and did administration,” she said.
Bail was opposed by the Crown.
Legal officer Aden Tranet said the address Ms Deity proposed to live in if bail was granted was only a six-minute drive from the complainant’s address.
However, he said the Crown’s position “would be different” if she organised an alternative address further from the Redcliffe area, where the offences are alleged to have occurred.
Mr Tranet said the strength of the case would likely fall on the evidence given by the complainant.
Supreme Court Justice Tom Sullivan said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) could examine a new proposed address put forward by Ms Deity.
“If you proceed with the application today, I will be taking into account that you will be in the vicinity of this person,” he said.
“The risk is you are going to come into contact with this person because he is in the general vicinity.”
Ms Deity agreed for the matter to be adjourned to a date to be fixed so she could confirm an alternative address.
She has agreed to wear a GPS tracker as part of her bail conditions.