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NSW Stepdad Accused Of Drugging His Wife To Abuse Her Daughter

Warning: distressing content

A Sydney mother has recounted how she would experience “extreme and sudden tiredness” at home and began to notice a bitter taste in her drinks and food. But she could never have imagined the horrifying alleged reason why.

A court has heard the woman’s 45-year-old salesman husband allegedly drugged her with travel sickness tablets in order to sexually assault his daughter, news.com.au reports.

The man has pleaded guilty to 99 charges that relate to the sexual abuse of the young girl. A jury has heard the abuse started when the girl was just 12 years old, AAP reports

The mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, explained that she had spotted “powdery substances” in drinks made by her husband.

During her cross-examination by the accused, who is representing himself, the woman said: “You just reassured me I was tired … I trusted you and I believed you.”

“I would ask you ‘have you put sugar in it?’ and you would say ‘no I haven’t done anything’… (but) it would taste different to when I made the drink,” she added.

Woman drinking water
The court heard the man drugged his wife’s drinks. Getty

According to AAP, a doctor told the jury that the accused would crush tablets into the mother’s food and drink.

The man allegedly crushed up the tablets using a meat tenderiser, which was found in the home with traces of three different drugs.

Previously, the court had heard that SD cards were found in the stepfather’s jacket with 78 videos and 778 graphic images depicting him indecently assaulting the girl.

The man has pleaded not guilty to 22 counts of allegedly drugging the girl and not guilty of five counts of drugging the mother.

He has also pleaded not guilty to assaulting another stepdaughter when she was around 11 years old.

If you or someone you know needs support, help can be found at Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.

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