In 2011, the bloody and naked body of mother-of-seven Lynette Daley was found on Ten Mile Beach in New South Wales.
Before her death, the 33-year-old had been camping with her on-and-off partner Adrian Attwater, and his friend, Paul Maris on Australia Day.
Nearly seven years on, the two men have been found guilty over the death and sexual assault of Ms Daley following a five-week trial at the Coffs Harbour Supreme Court.
As The Sydney Morning Herald reports, Attwater, 47, was convicted of manslaughter and aggravated sexual assault, while Maris was found guilty of aggravated sexual assault and hindering the discovery of evidence.
During the trial, a jury heard that Ms Daley was left to bleed to death on the beach after horrific injuries sustained from a violent sex act.
Crown prosecutor Philip Strickland SC told the court that Attwater “repeatedly and vigorously” sexually assaulted Ms Daley for a few of minutes.
As The Daily Telegraph reports, the barrister said Attwater then invited Maris to join in on the act. The court heard that Attwater had only stopped the assault when he spotted blood on his hand.
The jury was told Ms Daley suffered lacerations to her genitals from an act involving a fist or a hand. Mr Strickland argued the woman was too intoxicated to have consented to the aggressive sex, and that Attwater had waited too long before asking Maris to phone an ambulance.
Maris was found to have burned Ms Daley’s bra and a mattress soaked in blood from his 4WD.
In an interview with a detective, played at the NSW Supreme Court, Mr Attwater said of the sex act: “these things just happen, man, that’s it. Boys will be boys and girls will be girls”.
Both men had argued Ms Daley died after having a seizure during a swim.
Outside the court, Ms Daley’s stepfather Gordon Davis said he felt “vindicated” by the verdict.“You know, in the end justice won and that’s all it is,” he said.
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