Man who raped, beat and burned woman during 11-hour confinement found guilty

The Calgary man who drugged, raped and beat a woman for several "terrifying and traumatic" hours has been found guilty.

Vasilios (Billy) Georgopoulos, 39, was convicted on charges of sexual assault causing bodily harm, assault with a weapon, unlawful confinement and uttering death threats.

"[The victim] impressed me as a credible witness," said Court of Queen's Bench Justice Alan Macleod as he read his decision Tuesday afternoon. "She found the experience with Mr. Georgopoulos terrifying and traumatic."

Georgopoulos held his chin in his hands and looked over at his girlfriend in the gallery as the judge said the words "guilty."

• Defence suggests violent sex was consensual between accused rapist and alleged victim

Macleod found that although Georgopoulos claimed the sex was consensual, the woman's injuries — to her forehead, face, lower back, upper chest and the back of her head — were "consistent with her version of events."

"Consent was vitiated [invalidated] when violence occurred," said Macleod.

Georgopoulos and the victim, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, met online in October 2017 and made arrangements to meet in an apartment-like hotel suite.

Once there, the victim said she and Georgopoulos had a couple of drinks and their initial sexual encounter began as consensual.

• Woman testifies she was raped, beaten and burned with torch during 11-hour confinement

The 49-year-old woman said Georgopoulos began punching her in the face and head while she performed oral sex on him. She said he repeatedly called her a "fat pig."

Then he raped her anally.

At one point, he even burned her.

She said that after several hours, she escaped the hotel, took a cab to her mother's home and called police.

Connection to Red Deer killing

GHB, known as the date-rape drug, was found in the woman's system in the hours after the attack.

Georgopoulos is being monitored by the Calgary Police Service's high-risk offender program. Several officers from the unit were in court for the decision Tuesday.

Prosecutor Zailin Lakhoo successfully argued for Georgopoulos — who had been out on bail — to be taken into custody after the verdict.

In 2016, Georgopoulos was charged with manslaughter and accessory after the fact to murder for the November 2015 stabbing death of Alan Beach outside a pub in Red Deer. Georgopoulos ended up pleading guilty to a lesser charge of assault in 2017.

Macleod will hear sentencing submissions from defence lawyer Dale Fedorchuk and Lakhoo later this year.