Jury ponders verdict on brothel bash claim

Karen Hart
A JURY will decide the fate of a Geelong prostitute accused of attacking a man with an aerosol can and assaulting police.
Adele Madisen, of Saraband Crescent, Torquay, pleaded not guilty to one count each of recklessly cause injury and intentionally cause injury and two counts of assaulting police.
The jury yesterday retired to consider its verdict following a threeday trial before Judge Leslie Ross at Geelong County Court.
The court earlier heard how victim Jamieson Lake told police another prostitute working at Lorraine Star brothel had attacked him in April, 2005.
The attack cut Mr Lake’s lip and knocked out his false teeth.
He told police another sex worker, known as Jo, had thumped him but later told the jury he did not seen his attacker.
Jo, whose real name is Lisa Huzuda, denied she attacked Mr Lake, claiming she was in the brothel’s kitchen at the time of the fracas.
She told the court Madisen had asked her to “save her arse” after the incident just before midnight.
The court heard Jo weighed 80 to 100kg, had dark hair, spoke with a fake Irish accent and was wearing a dark dress on the night.
Madisen, whose working name was Cassie, weighed around 50kgs and had blonde hair.
The defence argued Madisen was not the attacker.
But in summing up, Crown prosecutor Tim Walsh said the identity of the attacker was not in doubt.
“The burning issue in this trial is whether it was the accused who hit Mr Lake,” he said.
“The evidence leads to that conclusion in that Mr Lake didn’t see who hit him.”
Mr Walsh said another prostitute known as Suzette had earlier given evidence claiming she saw the accused standing in the room holding a spray can after the attack.
“All these people (witnesses in the trial) knew each other and were familiar with each other,” Mr Walsh said.
“Identification is not really an issue.”
Geelong CIU Detective Senior Constable Wayne Elliott told the court he and detective Paul Evans were assaulted while trying to arrest Madisen over the alleged assault.
They had to restrain Madisen after she became hysterical and violent, the court heard.
But Mr Elliott refuted the claims of defence barrister David Drake that Madisen was not aware they were police officers and that they were rough and bullying with her during an interview.