The woman at the centre of the case was among the witnesses to give evidence at the hearing. The victim told the court Zhao made numerous sexual remarks to her in the lead-up to the assault while they worked at the same police facility in Perth. She testified that prior to the incident, Zhao had showed her naked photos of Asian women on his phone, talked to her about bondage, and what it would take for her to have sex with him. “Every conversation would end up in some sexual comment,” the woman said. The woman also said Zhao made a comment about her shirt one morning in September 2017 in her office, before he grabbed her breast by putting his hand down her shirt and making the comment, "easy access".

"He grabbed quite forcefully," she said. "He grabbed hold of my breast. It was quite firm and aggressive." The woman said she whacked Zhao and told him to "f--k off". "I said if you ever touch me again, you’re a dead c--t," she told the court. The woman said she did not report the incident straight away because she did not have faith in her officer-in-charge at the time, and because she perceived Zhao as dangerous.

She said Zhao also put his arm around her daughter when she visited the police building on a separate occasion. The woman said she later received a text message from Zhao which made reference to her daughter’s lips. Zhao also gave evidence on Tuesday and represented himself during the hearing. He said he liked the woman but denied wanting to have sex with her. “I dearly wanted her friendship ... I didn’t need sex with her,” he said.

“At no time did I ever get an erection over this woman.” On the day of the incident Zhao claimed he pointed and touched the woman’s chest to make a point that her breast was visible through her shirt. “I did not get aroused by what I saw,” he said. Zhao denied grabbing the woman’s breast and putting his hand down her shirt. “I would not do that to a woman,” he said. “(It is) totally inaccurate.”

A colleague of Zhao's, who worked in the same building as him and the victim, testified Zhao sniffed a chair which had been used by the victim, something Zhao denied. The colleague - a serving police officer - said Zhao made ongoing sexual remarks about various people in the building at which they worked. "He would talk about people he would like to f--k in the building," the officer said. "I was sick to death of all the sexual comments. "It was an ongoing pattern of behaviour that I have never seen."

Magistrate Scaddan said she found the woman to be a credible witness, but said Zhao’s evidence was self-serving and not credible. Half of the $8000 fine Zhao was given will be paid out to the victim.