- (b) he did not pinpoint a date on which he said the two physically met and instead he deposed to having many initial meetings without identifying the number of those meetings, where they were allegedly held, the frequency of those meetings, whether face-to-face or on the internet or otherwise;
- (c) as a matter of common human experience, I regard it as being highly unlikely that the applicant moved in with the respondent at his residence after only one online interaction;
- (d) the applicant had her own apartment in Suburb H in September and October 2023 and it made no sense for her to give that up so as to move in with him thereby continuing to incur rental outgoings;
- (e) the respondent gave no evidence about any discussions or conduct as might induce the applicant to move in with him as he alleged;
- (f) his residence was in Suburb F whereas hers was in Suburb H and the applicant gave no evidence that she had any ties with Suburb F, whether by reason of her work as a health professional or by reason of any circle of friends in Suburb F; and
- (g) in October 2023 the applicant was 23 years of age whereas the respondent was 37 years of age, there being no evidence given by either to the effect that as at October 2023 either had ascertained that each was compatible with the other such as to support the notion of cohabitation.
77 The version of events of the month of October 2023 as given by the applicant more closely approximated the likely sequence of events between the applicant and the respondent. She deposed to attending an event in Queensland. She said she had arranged to meet the respondent in Queensland, which she said they did.
78 According to the applicant, by October 2023 she had met the respondent online in September 2023, the next day they met in person in Suburb B, the following day they applicant and the respondent attended church and they dined together, they subsequently regularly communicated with one another and then they met in Queensland in the context of an event, after which the two started spending time together. To my mind that version of events is to be preferred over the respondent's version of events culminating in the two cohabitating in October 2023 after only a few interactions. It more likely represented the actual sequence of events that occurred.
