On July 23, a jury found Xu, who also goes by the first name “Tommy”, guilty of seven offences, including indecent assault, assault and having sex with a woman without her consent, knowing that she wasn’t consenting. The verdict came after the court heard evidence he had invited the young woman to the party, encouraged her to drink, and offered to take her home after she was unable to properly sit or stand. Instead he took her to his room at the Shangri La Hotel in The Rocks and tried to have sex with her during the hour-long ordeal on December 26, 2015. The woman gave evidence during the eight-day trial that Xu had thrown away her phone, forcibly removed her clothes and digitally raped her while she struggled beneath him. "She said that Mr Xu removed his clothes and pinned her down. She said that she struggled and said 'no'," Judge Noman said.

"She said that Mr Xu forcibly removed her cardigan and her dress. Loading "She said at one stage that Mr Xu said to her that she could not refuse him." During the trial the woman said via audiovisual link and through a Mandarin interpreter: "When he attempted to rape me, Tommy said that he would buy a boat for me, but I refused." Judge Noman said the woman was obviously highly intoxicated when the pair arrived at the hotel and Xu's attack was "opportunistic".

"I determine that Mr Xu took advantage of the victim's alcohol-rendered vulnerability," she said. The court heard Xu persisted "over objection and resistance", which Judge Noman said "reflects his arrogance". She said he was optimistic that his charm and apparent connection to wealth would persuade the woman to yield to him. "The offences were committed through force, fear and perseverance," Judge Noman said. The court heard the victim suffers flashbacks from the attack.

Xu's barrister, Winston Terracini SC, still denied the offence. "He is fully cognisant of the impact of such a submission," Mr Terracini said. "He's aware that it carries a significant custodial punishment." The pair were both guests at the lavish, multimillion-dollar penthouse of Mr Liu, the founder of online marketplace JD.com and one of China's richest men. According to undisputed facts Mr Liu was hosting a birthday party for Xu and was cooking dinner for the small gathering on the night.

JD.com founder Richard Liu. Credit:Fairfax Media But in a statement issued in Mandarin two days after Xu was found guilty, a spokesman from Beijing legal firm Jincheng Tongda & Neal said Mr Liu was unfamiliar with either of the people involved. Mr Liu, who is reputedly one of China’s richest men and has significant business interests in Australia, tried twice, unsuccessfully, to have his identity kept secret in the proceedings. Both applications in the District Court and Court of Appeal were fought by Fairfax Media, the publisher of the Herald, and other media organisations. It comes as Mr Liu faces his own legal controversy following his arrest over allegations of sexual assault in the US.