A Victorian jury has found Tom Silvagni guilty of raping a woman who was a friend of his girlfriend, bringing to a close a trial dominated by evidence of deception, manipulation and sustained denial.
The court heard that in the minutes after the assault, Silvagni embarked on what prosecutors described as immediate “gaslighting”, attempting to undermine the victim’s account and distort the truth to evade responsibility.
The woman told the court she was assaulted in a guest bedroom at the Silvagni family home after another man left, describing how Silvagni entered the darkened room, restrained her and sexually assaulted her despite her protests.
In the aftermath, the jury heard Silvagni allegedly altered digital evidence, pressured others to lie, and repeatedly denied the woman’s reality, actions prosecutors said showed a serious moral deficit and lack of empathy.
The victim later delivered a statement describing the long-term psychological toll, saying the lies made her doubt her own experience and complicated her recovery. Despite Silvagni’s continued denials and claims of panic-driven behaviour, jurors rejected his account after nearly two weeks of evidence.
Silgani is the son of Stephen Silvagni, a Carlton Football Club Hall of Famer and former AFL star.
When the balls overpower the brain – there can be blow backs
Like someone said to me once “Woman don’t understand that men can get out of control”
A crude assessment once uttered to me sums it up
A head with no brains
An eye that cannot see (albeit tunnel vision)
Hangs around with a couple of nuts
And its best friend is a C*nt (less than 30 acres)
Another interesting fact lies behind the origin of the sayings “one for the road” and “on the wagon”
When prisoners were being transported to Tower Hill in London on the back of a cart for execution they were stopped at the last Public House along the way and afforded a last pint of beer – “one for the road”
When they came out again they were “on the wagon”
Which used to be used by people to indicate they were not consuming alcohol for how long