A disgraced former pub manager of the Roebuck Bay Hotel in WA’s wild northwest has been convicted of a slew of sex crimes after abusing his position of power at the outback pub.
51-year-old Stewart Patrick Burchell, who ran the well-known hotel between 2017 and 2023, faced Broome District Court accused of rape and sexual assault involving five female employees and a patron.
Having worked in hospitality for years on the east coast, Burchell relocated to Broome in 2016 in order to take up the position at the hotel.
The hard-drinking Roebuck Bay has been described as a highly ‘sexualised environment’ that includes being home to Australia’s oldest wet T-shirt competition. Every Thursday night men and women get up before the crowd donning a white singlet provided by the pub and have water poured over them. The event was often hosted by Burchell.
Every second week the rural pub brought in ‘skimpy’ barmaids, who pass around a jug for collection as they are serving and will remove clothing when enough money is collected.
The rules for punters are strictly no touching, but Burchell was found to have not always adhered to that policy.
The court heard several of the indecent assaults Burchell is said to have perpetrated took place during ‘staffys’ after the hotel was closed, notably counting the time Burchell cornered a female staffer in her room; an incident over which he was later convicted.
Backpackers have formed a regular part of the Roey’s staff. Backpackers are frequently in Australia on 417 visas, which require them to do work in specific industries. This does not include hospitality.
Burchell was found to have raped a worker who he had helped get an extension to her visa for another year after forging a payslip to say she worked in the approved arena of construction.
In 2023, following reports, police attended the pub and detained Burchell. He was charged with raping one worker and indecently assaulting five others.
He originally went to court on trial for 16 charges, although two of the indecent assault charges were dropped due to a lack of evidence. The victims’ roles varied, affecting a skimpy, two bar staff, two security guards and a manager.
Several women described during the trial an escalating pattern of predatory behaviour, moving from explicit comments and texts to groping, and despoiling one of the women.
Sub-contractors were also engaged at the Roey, and two of the convictions arose from the sexual assault of two security guards.
Throughout the trial Burchell maintained his innocence, as his defence lawyer attempted to put doubt on the credibility and accuracy of testimony by the women.
Lyndal Ryan, acting president of United Workers Union, says the abuse of visa workers is “all too common” and often arises due to the inherent insecurity of this kind of employment or attempts to stay in Australia.
Burchell was on trial for a little over a week when the jury were sent for deliberation, returning after only a few hours with a guilty verdict on the charge of sexual assault and on nine charges of unlawful and indecent assault. They found him not guilty of the other four indecent assault charges.
The defendant has been remanded in custody, to be sentenced at a later date.
