Row-coach rapist in jail

A FORMER rowing coach “preoccupied by his selfish desire” has been jailed for raping the mother of one of the members of his team.

Supreme Court Justice Helen Wood jailed the now 60-year-old for four years for the Lake Barrington rape.

A FORMER rowing coach “preoccupied by his selfish desire” has been jailed for raping the mother of one of the members of his team.

The man was found guilty on Monday last week of three counts of indecent assault and one count of rape.

During the trial, the Supreme Court in Hobart heard the woman was assaulted and raped on the evening of March 3 last year, at Lake Barrington, during a school rowing regatta at which her teenage son was competing.

The court heard the woman was sleeping alone in a tent and her son was sleeping in a swag just outside, when the now 60-year-old entered the tent.

“She said, ‘no you can’t come in here’, he took no notice,” Justice Helen Wood said when she sentenced the man yesterday.

She said that unbeknown to the woman, the man was an alcoholic and was infatuated with her, wrongly believing his feelings were reciprocated.

“From the very beginning of the incident, and throughout, the complainant expressed her refusal … forcefully expressed her lack of consent,” Justice Wood said.

Justice Wood said the man’s conduct was “sustained and persistent” and that he was “preoccupied by his selfish desire”.

She said the woman made a report to police after struggling with what the consequences would be for the man.

“Complainants should not feel responsible for the consequences to accused for reporting crimes,” she said. “The consequences are a result of their criminal behaviour.”

Justice Wood said the woman’s victim impact statement was a powerful statement about the trauma and distress she had experienced.

“When articulate victims speak out they deepen the court’s and the community’s understanding of the trauma of all victims,” Justice Wood said. She said the man was genuinely remorseful and had taken steps towards rehabilitation, including giving up alcohol and seeking counselling.

She sentenced the man to four years’ jail, with a non-parole period of two years.

She also ordered his name be placed on the sex offender register for three years upon his release.