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Tom Silvagni has been convicted of rape. (Nine)<\/p>\nThe woman stared down Tom Silvagni, 23, this morning as he appeared in the Victorian County Court on a video link from prison.<\/p>\n
Silvagni barely reacted as the woman laid out how his crimes and series of lies changed her life forever.<\/p>\n
Tom Silvagni has been convicted of rape. (Nine)<\/p>\n
“You didn’t just violate my body that night, you violated my trust,” she told Silvagni.<\/p>\n
“It’s actually terrifying that someone you thought you knew and trusted could do something so evil.”<\/p>\n
Tom Silvagni was found guilty of two counts of rape on December 5 following a two-week trial.<\/p>\n
There had been a suppression over his identity since he was first charged with rape in June 2024, with his lawyers arguing publication could lead to the deterioration of his mental health.<\/p>\n
But Judge Andrew Palmer lifted the order yesterday, ruling it was no longer necessary given the trial had been run and Silvagni would be under close watch in custody.<\/p>\n
Silvagni had repeatedly denied he digitally raped his friend’s girlfriend at his Melbourne home in the early hours of January 14, 2024.<\/p>\n
The jury was told the woman had consensual sex with her boyfriend at the house before he organised an Uber and left the property shortly before 2am.<\/p>\n
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Tom Silvagni appeared in court on December 12 via video link. (Nine)<\/p>\n
Silvagni then lied, telling the woman her boyfriend would be returning upstairs because his Uber had been cancelled.<\/p>\n
But it was Silvagni who went into the dark bedroom a short time later and pretended to be the woman’s boyfriend as he digitally raped her.<\/p>\n
She managed to move away and ask directly if he was Silvagni but he still claimed to be the other man.<\/p>\n
Silvagni then grabbed both of the woman’s hands, pinned her down and digitally raped her a second time while she told him to stop.<\/p>\n
The woman managed to get a hand free and felt his hair, which was longer than her boyfriend’s, and that’s when Silvagni stopped and ran from the room.<\/p>\n
He returned a few minutes later and acted as if nothing had happened, instead asking her if she was OK and requesting a hug before she left.<\/p>\n
In the days that followed, Silvagni fabricated an Uber receipt to make it look like the woman’s boyfriend had left his home after 2.30am.<\/p>\n
Silvagni admitted forging the receipt but said he did so because he panicked after being falsely accused of rape.<\/p>\n
But the jury rejected his story, finding him guilty of the two rape charges on December 5.<\/p>\n
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Stephen Silvagni and wife Jo outside the County Court on December 12. (Nine)<\/p>\n
Silvagni’s lawyer, David Hallowes SC, today told the court they accepted the offending was serious but argued his client was a young man from a loving family with no prior convictions.<\/p>\n
He told the court Silvagni had suffered additional punishment from the extensive media attention, following the suppression over his identity being lifted.<\/p>\n
Silvagni should also receive a lighter sentence because his time in custody would be more difficult due to his poor mental health and risk of suicide, Hallowes said.<\/p>\n
Judge Gregory Lyon remanded Silvagni in custody ahead of his sentencing hearing on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The maximum jail term for rape is 25 years.<\/p>\n
Silvagni’s father breaks down\ufeff while vowing to ‘stand by’ son<\/p>\n
AFL great Stephen Silvagni broke down in tears while giving his family’s first public statement since Tom Silvagni was convicted of rape last Friday.<\/p>\n
\ufeffStephen said he and his family “firmly stand behind” their son as he “continues to maintain his innocence”, while addressing the media outside the Victorian County Court this morning, following the pre-sentence hearing.<\/p>\n
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Stephen Silvagni broke down in tears after addressing reporters. (Nine)<\/p>\n
“\ufeffJo and I, together with our family members and friends, are so disappointed with the outcome,” Stephen read as his wife, television personality Jo Silvagni, stood by his side.<\/p>\n
“We love and support our son. Our son \ufeffcontinues to maintain his innocence and we stand firmly by him.<\/p>\n
“We will be considering our options\ufeff to appeal and shall not be making any further comments on this case.<\/p>\n
“Our goal is to clear his name and bring him home\ufeff. We ask for our privacy and to be respectful.”<\/p>\n
Stephen finished by saying, “We’re very grateful\ufeff for our great support and families,” before he burst into tears and walked away.<\/p>\n