Chilling footage of a nurse being grabbed from behind, dragged into a Melbourne alleyway and thrown to the ground has been played to a court.
Jackson Williams is standing trial for allegedly assaulting and attempting to sexually assault the 39-year-old woman as she walked to work through the CBD in October 2018.
CCTV played to Victoria's County Court on Tuesday shows the woman being grabbed from behind, dragged into Healeys Lane and thrown to the ground.
She struggles and her attacker can be seen running off when an off-duty police officer intervenes.
Williams, then aged 19, had been out clubbing and drinking before he allegedly attacked the nurse on her way to work at an inner-city hospital.
The man's lawyer told Judge Mandy Fox it could not be established beyond reasonable doubt Williams intended to commit a sexual act.
Off-duty New Zealand police officer Adrian Woodgate, who was in Melbourne on holidays at the time, told the court he saw a man lying on top of the woman as the pair struggled.
"I didn't know what was occurring but I wasn't happy with it," Mr Woodgate said.
"It was just after 6am and there was no one around ... I could hear screaming coming from one person."
Williams is accused of applying force with the intent to commit a sexual act and assault.
He is on trial before a judge alone because juries are suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic.
