EXCLUSIVE
A worker on a $12million superyacht allegedly threatened to release a nude video of his former partner to make her start talking to him again before he abducted her, court documents reveal.
Ethan Davis, 23, from the NSW Central Coast, sent more than 200 messages to his ex-partner and colleague after she called off their relationship, prompting him to send her an intimate video of herself and threaten to share it publicly, the NSW Supreme Court heard.
Davis sent his ex-partner 85 messages on the evening of September 5, court documents alleged. She answered after he said doing so would ensure her safety.
After meeting in person and asking if she wanted to spend one last night together, the woman declined before Davis continued the conversation on WhatsApp at 3.45pm, where he began: ‘You disappoint me.’
At 7.05pm, after she had ignored more than 50 messages, Davis warned: ‘If you want to be safe, I suggest you answer.’
Ethan Davis, 23, (pictured) from the Central Coast, sent his ex-partner 85 messages in one night which culminated in him threatening to leak an intimate video of her, a court has heard
Details of the allegations against Davis and the messages he had sent are set out in a police fact sheet which was tendered during his bail application. Digital mock-up above
Davis was released on bail on Friday after spending more than two months in jail on remand for allegedly abducting the woman and threatening her safety.
On WhatsApp during their early September exchanges, he sent more than a dozen one- or two-word messages demanding she ‘answer’ or ‘pick up’, the court heard.
‘You don’t want any videos or pictures getting sent anywhere do you,’ he sent at 6.49pm.
‘Because I’m very close to doing so.
‘And I think you know exactly what ones I’m talking about.
‘I’ll let you decide on that.’
The messages failed to elicit a response from the woman, who had ended their relationship on August 28 after a camping trip to Port Stephens.
Her naked video was then forwarded by Davis who again warned: ‘You don’t want these getting leaked.’
‘I’m telling you. You best answer.’
The woman responded to the messages at 7.18pm informing Davis that she had called the police, at which point he asked that she return his calls several times to discuss the matter.
‘Stop calling or this will go further. I’m serious,’ she responded.
She said she had told a friend about what was going on and promised to drop the subject if Davis would quit messaging her.
Davis then sent 26 more messages asking her not to report him to the police and to not tell their boss, which he feared would cost him his job and home on the yacht.
Details of the allegations against Davis and the messages he had sent are set out in a police fact sheet which was tendered during his bail application.
According to court documents, Davis met the woman in January 2022 when he began working on a superyacht called Oceana, and the two were briefly an item.
The prosecution alleges that following the breakdown of their relationship he became ‘obsessive’, stalked her and on two occasions detained her.
Davis, who is facing a spate of abuse allegations, allegedly forwarded his ex-partner and colleague the intimate video of herself and told her to answer for her own safety
When the woman finally responded and told Davis that she would get the police involved if he persisted, he sent another 26 messages asking her to not tell anyone, the court heard
Defence lawyer Raoul Court told the court during Mr Davis’ bail application that his client was concerned about losing his job and his home, which was on the Oceana superyacht
It’s alleged he was unhappy after their initial relationship had broken down and on one occasion waited for her by her car and visited her home.
When their employer was made aware of the situation, he ceased work for a six-week period.
He is alleged to have sent a card to her parents’ house saying ‘I love you xx’.
When he returned to work, they resumed their relationship until she once again broke it off in mid-August this year.
They later met at Bondi Icebergs in late August and it’s alleged that is when she told him their relationship couldn’t continue.
David allegedly responded by asking who else she was dating, snatched her phone and asked her to follow him to his car.
According to the court documents, when she told him she would scream unless he returned her phone, he told her ‘well scream then’.
She followed him to his car, attempting to grab the phone back.
Court documents alleged that she got in his car but kept the door open and began yelling at passers-by, prompting him to slam it shut and drive off.
He allegedly demanded she return jewellery he had purchased for her before eventually dropping her home.
He asked her to ‘take a blood oath not to tell anyone’, according to the police allegations.
‘The victim swore on her parent’s life she wouldn’t tell anyone,’ the court documents state.
On the night of September 5 as she left work Davis dressed in all black and put on black latex gloves and hid by her car, according to the court documents.
It’s alleged that as she got close he said, ‘Come here. You’re going to get in the car. You’re going to get in the car.’
When she protested, it’s alleged he grabbed her around her back as she screamed for help.
He allegedly loosened his grip as a nearby ute stopped, allowing her to run off.
However he ran her down and placed his hands over her mouth and told her to ‘be quiet’, according to the allegations.
Police allege he carried her to the car where he pulled a knife.
The woman told police he told her to unlock her phone and said ‘You’re going to delete the evidence’.
They drove to Manly where he allegedly made her delete all of their messages, call logs and screenshots.
He also demanded she take a ‘blood oath’ not to tell anyone, which she did to appease him while the knife was held against her, according to the prosecution allegations.
Davis (above) allegedly kidnapped the woman on two separate occasions and both times threatened her to not tell anyone as he feared it would cost him his job and his home
‘This involved the victim making a small cut on her left index finger with the knife causing it to bleed,’ the court documents state.
They then drove back to the marina and he allowed her to drive home.
The following morning, she went to Bondi Police Station to report the matter.
Later that day, police stopped his car about 50 metres from where the alleged victim’s vehicle was parked.
Police say they found black latex gloves in the centre console as well as black clothes.
He was also found in possession of 0.72 grams of MDMA, according to police.
The Wadalba man was charged with a string of offences including two counts of take/detain a person with intent to obtain advantage, using a carriage service to menace/harass/offend, use an offensive weapon to commit an indictable offence and two counts of stalk intimidate intending to cause fear/physical harm.
In an affidavit to the court, the officer in charge of the investigation argued there was ‘strong evidence’ to support the allegations including ‘clear CCTV of the accused chasing down the terrified complainant and carrying her through a deserted parking complex with a gloved hand over her mouth’.
Defence lawyer Raoul Court told the court during Mr Davis’ bail application that he ‘panicked’ because he was fearful of losing his job.
‘He was concerned about losing his job and his home, which was on the superyacht,’ Mr Court said.
The Oceana superyacht is a charter vessel which holds 12 guests across five cabins and can be booked for $290,000, per week.
Previously known as Obsession, the 55-foot yacht was built in 1991 and sold to its current owner in 2019 for €7,750,000 (A$12,896,802).
‘He was not concerned for the relationship ending – this concern was that she was going to tell, not the police, but the captain that their relationship had continued.
‘On the basis of the captain being informed, Davis loses his job and loses his home.’
He further submitted the relationship between the pair had existed for close to two years, during which time he had always been respectful of the woman.
Mr Davis was granted bail on conditions which amounted to home detention and that his family provide a $1million surety.
Mr Davis appeared briefly in the Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday.
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