Former New South Wales police officer David Robert Blackbourne was acquitted of one sexual offence after a jury trial but remained under uncertainty on four other charges due to a hung jury.

Blackbourne, 56, was charged in 2023 with multiple offences, including two counts of sexual intercourse without consent, two counts of assault with an act of indecency, and one count of misconduct in public office. The allegations relate to an incident in October 1998 involving a 17-year-old girl in a NSW-Victoria border town.

The complainant initially reported the alleged crimes to Victoria Police in 2016, with the investigation later transferred to NSW Police in 2021. During the trial held at Sydney's Downing Centre District Court, the court heard that on October 17, 1998, the woman attended a police station where she alleged Blackbourne gave her a police hat intended for a Year 12 muck-up day.

After nearly three weeks of trial and a week of jury deliberations, the jury found Blackbourne not guilty of one count of assault with an act of indecency but was unable to reach verdicts on the remaining four charges.

During closing arguments, Crown Prosecutor Roger Kimball told the jury that the complainant's former employer provided "consistent, truthful and reliable evidence" supporting her claims. Kimball also noted that Blackbourne had never denied the alleged sexual assault.

The trial outcome leaves the four charges unresolved, with no verdict reached.

Sources