Accused Bendigo rapist back in jail

By Whitney Harris
Updated November 7 2012 - 3:53am, first published January 18 2011 - 9:46am

ONE of the men charged with raping a Bendigo mother last weekend is back behind bars after he allegedly contacted a witness.Mohammed Elnour, 18, was arrested by Shepparton police about 10pm on Monday.Elnour is also alleged to have breached a 9pm curfew that was part of his bail conditions. He appeared in the Shepparton Magistrates Court yesterday, where his bail was revoked.Elnour is one of seven males charged with the rape and false imprisonment of a 21-year-old Bendigo woman on Sunday morning.He, along with the co-accused, is charged with repeatedly raping the woman while her two young children were asleep inside the house.During a bail application in the Bendigo Magistrates Court last week – in which he was granted bail – the court was told Elnour was one of two men who held the victim down during the attack.Police opposed the application.Detective Senior Constable Christopher Reed told the court he feared Elnour would interfere with witnesses, associate with the co-accused and reoffend.Defence lawyer Peter Baker said his client denied any involvement in the rape and argued inconsistencies in the prosecution’s case.Elnour, Mohammad Zaoli, 21, Aru Gar, 19, Akoak Manon, 18, and three boys, aged 14, 16 and 17, were arrested at the woman’s Flora Hill home about 5am on Sunday, January 9.They are each facing 17 charges, including 14 counts of rape and single counts of unlawful and injurious imprisonment and detainment, assault in indecent circumstances while being aware the victim was not consenting and unlawful assault. Zaoli, Gar and Manon are on bail.The boys are still in police custody – the 16-year-old was denied bail on Friday and the 14-year-old and the 17-year-old are yet to make an application.

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