Wild claims top barrister wore disguise and destroyed evidence to get rid of cops after allegedly groping teenage girl outside strip club kebab shop

Former high-flying criminal lawyer Glenn Thexton claims he is the victim of a police witch hunt after allegedly groping a teenage girl outside a late-night kebab shop in Melbourne.

Thexton, whose once-thriving law practice had offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, pleaded not guilty to sexual assault in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday.

Police allege Thexton, 45, groped a 17-year-old girl outside Queens Kebabs in Melbourne’s busy King St just before 11pm on September 25, 2019.

The court heard allegations Thexton sexually assaulted the teenager who was with a group of friends after leaving Cloud Nine, a now-closed juvenile venue, inside the popular Inflation nightclub.

The alleged victim claimed she went to a bar next to the King St kebab shop, where her friends saw she was visibly distressed.

The teenager’s friends asked her what was wrong but she was “too upset” to speak, the court was told.

Allegations that the teenager spotted Thexton at the club were also aired in court.

“He touched me, he touched me, he grabbed my ass,” she reportedly said.

The alleged victim and her friends also encountered Thexton outside the scene.

“It’s him, it’s him,” she reportedly shouted.

The teenager then allegedly pointed the finger at Thexton.

The alleged victim and his friends, including a man the group had met earlier at Cloud Nine, confronted Thexton and told him to stay away from the girl.

Thexton allegedly punched the man in the chest before walking away.

The teenager and her friends allegedly followed Thexton to the King St nightclub area, where they watched the criminal lawyer attempt to enter the Spearmint Rhino strip club.

Bouncers from Spearmint Rhino allegedly refused entry to Thexton, so the teenager and her friends watched as the lawyer headed to a second strip club, Centrefold Lounge.

Thexton then allegedly walked away from Centrefold before the teenager reported the alleged sexual assault to police.

Investigators snatched surveillance video from outside Queens Kebab before Crime Stoppers issued a wanted poster allegedly depicting Thexton’s image.

Crime Stoppers received a tip about Thexton who then referred him to police.

Cops invited Thexton for an interview on October 16, 2019, during which he denied sexually assaulting the girl.

The court heard the alleged victim had consumed a single Bacardi Breezer on the day of the alleged assault while Thexton was drinking with an employee and her American friend.

Thexton and the American had gone to Spearmint Rhino earlier in the night, the court was told.

It is also alleged that Thexton met two employees at the city bar ALIBI – Urban Gastropub on October 9, 2019.

The meeting allegedly took place just days after Thexton’s image was released by Crime Stoppers and before his interview with police.

The prosecution alleged that Thexton arrived at the meeting “disguised” in cargo shorts, a sweater, a cap and flip-flops and without glasses.

The employees allegedly asked Thexton what was happening and he told them a friend had warned him. Crime Stoppers had posted a message with his image and that he was “going to lay low for a while.”

Thexton also allegedly asked one of the employees to retrieve and destroy a tie that police suspected he was wearing the night of the incident and that was depicted in the Crime Stoppers image.

Thexton, who represented himself, denies sexually assaulting the girl and a witness said “no ties were destroyed.”

He also denied wearing a disguise, telling the court he often wore shorts, flip-flops and a cap as “my routine outfit”.

“It’s not a change in appearance,” Thexton said.

Thexton also claimed the teenager approached him for a cigarette and a statement and he left King St in a taxi.

Thexton also said it was “highly inappropriate” for the Crime Stoppers image to be published in the media.

“To embarrass me, so that I would be put under pressure by the police…” he said.

“This will be alleged by me… (there has been) an absolute failure in the proper investigation of this matter, allegations of inferences of guilt were contrived after the fact…

“This case was brought against me for an ulterior motive. This is not a case of sexual assault, your honor, but a case aimed at shutting me down as a legal practitioner.”

Thexton also claimed that Victoria Police’s disbanded Purana Task Force, which hunted Tony Mokbel and other Melbourne gangsters, arrested him “after this matter arose”.

“It was completely inappropriate for me to be arrested by the Purana Task Force…and seen as some sort of threat to a law enforcement officer…,” he said.

“It was this matter that led to the closure of my legal practice in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.”

The contested hearing continues.