Craig Rumsby's trial begins in Dubbo Supreme Court for alleged murder and sexual attack

Family members and supporters of Michelle Bright arrived dressed in yellow and purple as the trial of her alleged killer, Craig Henry Rumsby, began in the Supreme Court at Dubbo on Wednesday.

As part of the same trial, the 56-year-old has also been accused of sexually attacking another young woman in Gulgong, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Michelle Bright has been identified with the permission of her family.

The two charges laid against Rumsby are one count of murder and one count of attempting to choke or strangle with intention to commit an indictable offence. The charges involve two separate victims.

Supreme Court Judge Robert Allan Hulme confirmed Rumsby's plea of 'not guilty' to both charges.

The Judge told the jury the accused did not need to prove his innocence and that it was up to the Crown to prove him guilty.

The accused was present in the court dock dressed in a black suit and eye glasses.

Family and friends of Michelle Bright were seated in the court's public gallery wearing purple and yellow, the colours which have become synonymous with the teenager.

A 15-member jury was impaneled to decide if Rumsby murdered Michelle Bright and if he sexually attacked the second alleged victim.

The opening address by Crown prosecutor L J Carr Senior Counsel outlined the circumstances in both charges; the when, where and how of the alleged offending. Over the next few weeks, the Crown said evidence through witnesses and recordings would be presented in court.

The barrister said Rumsby was arrested in 2020 in Mudgee after an extensive covert operation which included undercover police officers. He said as of February 1999, the accused lived alone on a rural property on Cypress Drive in Yarrawonga but moved to a Western Sydney suburb the following month.

Court media stated there are interim suppression orders on the name of the covert operation as well as the officers involved and techniques employed.

Crown prosecutor Mr Carr told the jury Rumsby is accused of murdering 17-year-old student Michelle Bright.

He said Ms Bright had left her friend's 15th birthday party in Gulgong just before 12.30am on February 27, 1999. Two friends had dropped Ms Bright off at the Commercial Hotel in town, which was closed, and she was last seen by witnesses walking north on Herbert Street after the Mayne Street intersection.

Mr Carr said "no alarms started going off" as it was not unusual for Ms Bright to not return home after a night out. He said she was reported missing on February 28, 1999, after her family could not find her.

Ms Bright's body was found on Barneys Reef Road in the afternoon on March 2, 1999, halfway between the Gulgong's town centre and where she lived on Barneys Reef Road. The area was "very isolated" and did not have any street lights.

The prosecutor said Ms Bright's body was found partly naked with her face down. Her shirt was pushed over her bra which had been ripped in two places. Her underwear and pants were down near her ankles with her socks and shoes still on her feet.

A bracelet around one of Ms Bright's wrists has been pulled to middle of her hand "very tightly". Her jacket and purse were found a short distance from the body. A button from her jacket and necklace were also found close by.

Mr Carr said post mortem examination revealed the body was "significantly" decomposed. The autopsy revealed grazes on her thighs, abdomen, knuckles and there was bruising in the rectum. There were no signs of blunt force trauma or penetrating injuries like a gunshot wound.

Mr Carr told the court the pathologist would say the most likely cause of death was either suffocation or strangulation. The pathologist was also of the opinion that the scene was suggestive of sexual assault.

They also indicated perimortem abrasions could mean she was dragged, and it was unlikely the death occurred where the body was found.

Mr Carr said despite forensic examination of numerous DNA profiles provided by people, there was no match linking anyone to Ms Bright's death.

Rumsby is also accused of attacking another young female in Gulgong. The court heard the alleged victim will be giving evidence during the course of the trial.

At the time of the alleged crime on January 1, 1998, the woman was aged between 16 and 19. She had returned from a New Year's Eve party accompanied by her boyfriend and a group of friends.

About 3am, she was outside a house in Gulgong waiting for a friend. She saw a man walking towards her with his trousers rolled up over his knees, with no shoes, who the prosecution believes to be Rumsby.

Mr Carr said she felt uncomfortable and waited for him to pass. As she looked away, he alleged Rumsby grabbed her by the neck, placed his hand on her throat and struck her face with his other hand.

Rumsby is alleged to have pulled up the white dress she was wearing while having his hand on her throat and removing her underwear from one leg. He is then alleged to have used his legs to force her legs open while the alleged victim screamed for help.

Rumsby allegedly struck her again and said words to the effect of: "If you don't stop screaming... I will kill you. You would prefer to be awake wouldn't you."

The prosecutor said the alleged victim could feel Rumsby's penis on her vagina.

Her boyfriend came outside and allegedly saw his partner with her back pinned to the ground with the accused's hands on her mouth. Before he could strike the attacker with an object, the prosecution alleges Rumsby fled, jumped the back fence of a property and disappeared.

Photos of the alleged victim's dress after the attack, taken by police in 1998, were shown in court.

Mr Carr said she sustained injuries to her face, legs and back. After police were called that day, they drove around with the woman and her boyfriend to find the attacker.

About 4am, Rumsby was spotted on Medley Street by the couple who pointed him out to police.

Mr Carr said he was carrying a shirt and wearing shorts but no shoes. He said Rumsby told police he was walking home and thought he was on Henry Lawson Drive, which is located on the other side of Gulgong. Rumsby allegedly told police they had the wrong person.

Later in the morning of January 1, 1998, the woman's boyfriend found a can of premixed Jim Beam and cola, a brown wallet embossed with Rumsby's name, a pair of thongs and cigarette butts near the scene of the crime.

The Crown alleged Jim Beam and cola was Rumsby's drink of choice.

The items were held by police until April 22, 1998, when the accused's sister went to retrieve the property on his behalf. She gave the police a handwritten to letter by Rumsby stating he needed the wallet and shoes for work. The property was returned.

On September 10, 2019, the woman made a statement to police about the alleged crime in 1998.

During the course of Rumbsy's alleged interaction with undercover officers, he is accused of making statements about committing the crimes in 1998 and 1999.

With regard to the second alleged victim, Rumsby was allegedly having drunken running races with a friend when he ran into her. He allegedly said he tackled her while facing down.

He is accused of saying he didn't have time to have "a feel" of her because people came out of the house screaming. He allegedly told officers, he wanted to "f--k her" because she was that age and had a "good body".

After his arrest, the Crown said Rumsby denied knowing the alleged victim or even having heard the name.

With regard to Ms Bright's murder, Rumsby is alleged to have denied involvement multiple times and repeating she was "like a sister" to him.

Rumsby later allegedly told undercover officers he could have gone walking along "Showground Road" and fallen asleep. The Crown said there was no such road and alleged that he was referring to Barneys Reef Road.

Rumsby allegedly said he could have fallen asleep and was awoken by someone on the road, not knowing it was Ms Bright. He allegedly said she was "knocked out" as she fell to the ground and he didn't know if he was "raping" her or not.

He allegedly said he put his hand on her mouth until she stopped breathing "to make sure" she would die. He allegedly said he pulled her across to the tall grass, where her body was later found, and she didn't regain consciousness.

The court heard the accused allegedly pulled up her bra because she "had a nice set". He allegedly said her pants could have gone down after he "dragged" her across the road.

He allegedly told undercover police officers Ms Bright didn't scream and that he realised he had killed her.

Rumsby was asked how he felt being in that spot with undercover officers and he allegedly said "I'm f--king sick [in the gut]".

Mr Carr said all the evidence gathered during the covert operation had been recorded on video and audio.

The Crown alleged Rumsby had sexual interest in "females in their late teens". Materials the Crown would submit allegedly indicated Rumsby's tendency to act on "state of mind".

The Crown said it would be "extraordinary" if "by coincidence" the perpetrators were different in each crime, given they were both sexual in nature and occurred a few 100 metres apart in relatively dark areas.

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