COLD CASE RAPIST’S PRISON STRUGGLES:
A BANNOCKBURN man found guilty of a cold case rape in Lorne is struggling to cope with life behind bars, a court has heard.
Gregory Challenger has been on remand for the past month after a jury found him guilty of three counts of aggravated rape. The County Court in Melbourne heard yesterday that the 56-year-old was being subjected to intimidation from fellow inmates and was in “constant pain” due to medical issues.
The charges against Challenger stemmed from an early morning incident on New Year’s Day in 1986 when a young woman was attacked by four men as she sat on a Lorne beach. The prosecution case centred on him being a man with a distinctive moustache who initiated the assault, before orally raping the woman.
Challenger was also found guilty of holding down the victim while another unknown man raped her.
He appeared in custody yesterday for his first court appearance since the guilty verdicts were delivered.
Defence barrister Kellie Blair said her client was experiencing difficulties in prison due to his medical condition and threats from other inmates. She said Challenger had been moved from the mainstream prison population after a group of up to four men confronted him in his cell.
“He ended up having to get shifted (to a protection unit),” Ms Blair said. “I don’t know if people had read the Geelong Addy or found out through other means.”
The court heard the former aircraft cleaner was also struggling with “constant pain” linked to shoulder damage and heart-related issues.
Challenger was not a suspect in the 1986 rape until a DNA match was made in 2015 that linked him to the crime scene. The victim — who identified Challenger as the culprit from a photo board — tendered a statement to the court detailing the impact the crime has had on her.
The statement was not read aloud but Crown prosecutor Andrew Moore said it was clear the rape had left her “personally devastated”.
“This was a violent rape,” Mr Moore said. “Her recovery has been an ongoing process for a number of years.”
The court heard Challenger had a lengthy rap sheet from early adulthood and once spent 12 months in jail for an aggravated burglary.
But defence barrister Len Hartnett argued the father of three did not pose an ongoing risk to the community.
“In many ways, (Challenger) has set himself upon a course of trying to rehabilitate himself over the years,” he said. Mr Hartnett also said the case was a reminder that criminals were never safe from prosecution.
“What people in the community will hear from this case … is that the law will catch up to them. Time does not heal the wound of serious crime,” he said.
Challenger was supported in court by several people, including wife Tamara, who broke down as she told Judge Liz Gaynor about her husband’s current experience in jail. “I think he sort of stays a bit guarded,” she said. “I don’t think he likes everything that’s going on there.”
Challenger — who faces a maximum jail term of 60 years — will return to court for sentencing on June 26.