‘Not able to discern’: ‘Sadistic’ rapist and torturer Nicholas John Crilley faces snag in conviction appeal

A former banker’s appeal over the “sadistic” torture and sexual assault of a woman may not go ahead due to legal issues over what grounds he is appealing on, a court has been told.

Nicholas John Crilley is serving multiple life sentences for the horrific ordeal he subjected the woman to over 2017 – which left her permanently disfigured.

Despite pleading guilty to the offences and being sentenced in 2020, the former banker is now appealing his conviction.

Earlier this year Crilley secured legal aid funding for a King’s Counsel to appear in his matter.

But on Thursday, Craig Eberhardt KC told Brisbane’s Court of Appeal he had only received a “box of material” at his chambers on November 22.

“I’m working my way through that amongst my other commitments,” he said.

“At this stage, I cannot assure the court the appeal against conviction will proceed.

“Simply because I’m not able to easily discern what the grounds of that appeal are, and how long would be required to argue it.”

Crilley’s female victim was kept against her will in a townhouse in Bulimba and then a hotel room in Brisbane for more than 23 days in 2017 by Crilley, who repeatedly physically and sexually assaulted her.

Some of the horrifying acts included Crilley brutally beating her, pouring boiling water and acetone over her body and forcing her to perform bestiality.

He then left the woman in the hotel, dialling triple-0 before fleeing.

Paramedics initially thought the woman was dead when they discovered her, until she groaned in agony.

Mr Eberhardt on Thursday said it would take some time to “traverse” the “various complaints which seem to be contained in a bunch of handwritten letters”, should the appeal proceed.

The court was told Crilley had been asked to give a statement outlining the basis of his complaints against his former counsel.

Crilley was ordered to serve any affidavits he wanted to rely on before March 3 next year.

A hearing date was set down for June 9 but Court of Appeal Justice Debra Mullins said she anticipated another review would take place in the future.

During his sentencing in 2020, Brisbane District Court was told Crilley was on a days-long drug-fuelled bender and held the baseless belief the woman was somehow involved in a drive-by shooting which targeted him.

He was handed seven life sentences – pleading guilty to a raft of charges, including torture, deprivation of liberty and rape.

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