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FIFO worker Ryan Zabaznow denies sexually assaulting 'comatose' woman at BHP mine

Ryan Zabaznow stands accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a WA mine site. (ABC News: Glyn Jones)

A fly-in fly-out worker is on trial in WA's District Court accused of sexually assaulting a colleague at a remote mine site in the state's Pilbara region.

Ryan Zabaznow, 37, is alleged to have raped the woman in November 2020 in her donga at the Mulla Mulla accommodation village for BHP's South Flank iron ore mine, about 120 kilometres west of Newman. 

The court has been told Mr Zabaznow and the woman had seen each other around the mine site but had not previously socialised together.

State prosecutor Rebekah Sleeth said on the night of the alleged assault, both had been drinking because they were transitioning from a week of day shifts to a week of night shifts and they ended up with others, outside the woman's donga.

Woman was 'comatose': friend

Ms Sleeth said the woman became ill and passed out in the bathroom, so a friend — who described her as being "comatose" — put her to bed.

The woman's next memory was waking up with Mr Zabaznow on top of her, the court heard.

Ryan Zabaznow denies he raped the woman.  (ABC News: Glyn Jones)

"She could smell his cologne ... she was overwhelmed by shock and lay underneath him crying," Ms Sleeth told the jury.

Mr Zabaznow maintains the sexual activity was consensual.

His lawyer Helen Prince told the court the woman and her client had encountered each other around the campsite earlier in the night, becoming Facebook friends and messaging each other.

Sex was 'consensual': defence

She said when Mr Zabaznow arrived at the woman's donga, they became involved in an "intimate conversation" before having what she claimed was "consensual sex".

Ryan Zabaznow (left) arrives at the District Court in Perth on Monday. (ABC News: Glyn Jones)

The court was told a confrontation had developed when the woman's friend found her in the donga with Mr Zabaznow and he later sent her message asking, "what's going on?"

Ms Prince said the next morning, the woman replied with messages that included saying "you're all good ... they [her friends] are just worried about me because I'm going through a lot ... right now".

"The sex was consensual. She did know what was going on," Ms Prince submitted.

"She was not comatose. It was consensual sex between two consenting adults."

Ms Prince said the state would also have to disprove that Mr Zabaznow had "an honest and reasonable belief" the woman was consenting.

'I felt like a cement slab was on top of me'

However, the woman fought back tears as she testified about that night.

"I remember waking up to Ryan on top of me" she said, 

"I remember him saying how sexy I was."

The District Court heard the woman woke to find the accused on top of her.  (ABC News: Glyn Jones)

When asked if she did anything she said, "I couldn't, I couldn't."

"I didn't know if I wanted to scream, yell or move ... physically I couldn't. I felt like a cement slab was on top of me."

"I didn't know what to do, I wasn't sure what was happening.

"I remember a tear falling ad then I thought 'just don't let him see you're upset', so I just cried as quietly as I could."

The woman said she believed the alleged assault lasted about five minutes before she heard a knock at the door and then her friend asking to come and talk to her. 

The trial is expected to run all week.

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