Michael Schumacher nurse confronted with ‘grovelling texts’ from racing driver accused of attack

Former Formula 1 prospect Joey Mawson has gone on trial accused of raping a nurse at racing legend Michael Schumacher’s Swiss mansion

Former racing prodigy Joey Mawson sent “grovelling” text messages to Michael Schumacher’s nurse after allegedly raping her, a court was told. The 30-year-old Australian ex-pro went on trial on Tuesday, facing accusations that he sexually assaulted the woman while she was unconscious at the Schumacher family’s Swiss estate.

The complainant claims she was raped twice following a cocktail party at the Formula One legend’s luxury mansion in Gland, near Geneva, on November 23, 2019. Mawson strongly denies the charges, maintaining that the encounter was entirely consensual.

During the proceedings, Mawson informed the judge that he remained in the woman’s bedroom “until the early hours of the morning” to prevent other staff members from finding out about their “intimate moment”.

However, the nurse’s legal representative, Patrick Michod, then ambushed the defendant with previously undisclosed text messages, German newspaper Bild reports. The texts reportedly said: “I am truly sorry. I am sorry for the pain I am causing you.”

Lawyer Patrick questioned Mawson on why he felt the need to apologise to the nurse if the encounter had been consensual.

Mawson did not provide an answer to the question, but admitted he hadn’t fully grasped the extent of his alcohol consumption, claiming he had wiped out large blocks of memory from that night.

He said: “It wasn’t until the next morning that I realized how drunk I had been. During the night, I had assumed that she was less drunk than I realised the next morning.”

According to the prosecution, Mawson sent these messages to the nurse the evening following the alleged assault.

Court documents state that Mawson was a guest at the massive estate on the banks of Lake Geneva on the night of November 23, 2019.

He was reportedly playing pool with two other members of the injured F1 icon’s staff when the alleged victim joined them after completing an exhausting shift.

After consuming a few drinks, the nurse began to feel unwell and had to lie down on the floor before colleagues helped her to bed, the indictment claims.

Addressing the court, the alleged victim said: “It was my sixth consecutive workday. I hadn’t had time to eat and was tired. At some point, I was relieved.”

Co-workers reportedly placed the nurse in her bed “without undressing her” and left her sleeping with the lights switched on.

The prosecution alleges that shortly after, the driver slipped back into the room and assaulted her twice while she was passed out.

The two other medical staff present that night said they neither saw nor heard anything unusual, and the nurse herself awoke with no memory of what had transpired.

She told the court: “One of the medics told me I was completely drunk and that they, along with Joey, had carried me upstairs.

“I asked him if I had gone to bed naked, because I had woken up naked. He said he had left the light on because he was worried.

“Because I had been unconscious, he had asked Joey to check on me. When I asked him if anything had happened, he said ‘no’.”

According to court files, blood was subsequently discovered on the bedsheets, and the nurse sustained physical injuries that matched being forcefully restrained. She went directly to a hospital to undergo a full forensic medical examination.

No members of the Schumacher family are involved in the allegations, nor were they present at the property when the incident allegedly occurred. They are not expected to attend the trial.

It is understood the nurse chose not to file criminal charges or alert the Schumacher family until 2022. In October 2020, less than a year after the alleged incident, she was dismissed from the F1 star’s medical team.

Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, who secured 91 Grand Prix victories, is understood to require round-the-clock medical care after suffering severe injuries in a tragic skiing accident in 2013.

Mawson was previously regarded as a bright prospect in motorsport with eyes on F1, before his career stalled and he moved back to Australia.

He was a close friend and on-track rival of Schumacher’s son, Mick, and previously competed against current F1 stars Lando Norris and George Russell.