SHOCKING TRAIL OF PURE EVIL
Women’s ‘no bail’ push after teen rapist jailed
A TEENAGER who raped or attempted to violate five Far North women in their homes has shown “little remorse”, “no empathy for his victims” and tried to blame his horrendous behaviour on “black magic”.
The 18-year-old, who is originally from the Wujal Wujal community, was handed a seven-year detention sentence in the Cairns District Court on Friday, the rest of which will now be served in Lotus Glen Correctional Centre.
His brave victims, including women from Edmonton and Cooktown, have begged for an overhaul of bail laws after facing their attacker across a courtroom in an incredible act of strength.
A TEENAGER who raped or attempted to violate five Far North women in their homes has shown “little remorse”, “no empathy for his victims” and tried to blame his horrendous behaviour on “black magic”.
And despite a psychologist labelling his risk of reoffending as high, the community will never know the name of this man, who is now an adult, because he was two weeks shy of his 18th birthday when his wave of brutality ended.
The 18-year-old, who is originally from the Wujal Wujal community, was handed a seven-year detention sentence in the Cairns District Court on Friday, the rest of which will now be served in Lotus Glen Correctional Centre.
His offences occurred at Cooktown in January last year and at Edmonton in February.
Judge Dean Morzone said the women he had assaulted were “broken”.
“The reality is what you did to them lives with them for their life,” he said.
“It has broken them to their very core.
“They look at life differently and people differently, particularly young men.”
Crown prosecutor Nathan Crane said the teen had sought “gratification” during the offending and was conscious of his behaviour — placing his hand over the mouth of at least one victim to stop her screaming.
“His victims can be anyone — they’re random people he selects,” Mr Crane said.
“He doesn’t care whether he gets caught.”
The man had earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of rape, two counts of attempted rape and 14 other assault and property offences.
Four of his victims were in Cooktown, where over a rampant 90-minute spree in January last year, he got inside their homes, sexually assaulted three of them and attempted to assault the fourth before she screamed out to her husband and he fled.
One of the victims was a youth worker where he was staying.
Another was a woman in her 40s who fought back after he lay on top of her in bed, nude.
The then-16-year-old was initially placed in custody, given bail briefly in May that year before being returned when he breached strict conditions within days, but was released on bail again in
December and ordered to live in Cairns. Just weeks later on February 27, while on bail, he escaped his bail house and spent the day drinking, returning early the following morning, but leaving soon afterwards.
He tried to get into several nearby homes, eventually accessing one through a back door before he went in and raped the occupant, a woman in her 60s.
She did her best to fight him off, smashing him over the head with a bedside lamp.
The court heard the man’s upbringing had been “rough” — his father is a jailed sex offender and his mother, along with several of her family members, committed suicide.
He changed schools 15 times.
“You need to work out how to do things differently,” Judge Morzone said.
“I’m deeply worried how you think about women and wanting to do things to them and nothing seems to stop you.
“Your mother was a woman. Stay true to her good spirit. It’s time now to stop blaming other things.
“Your problems should never be other people’s problems where they get hurt in this very bad way.”
Judge Morzone ordered he serve 60 per cent of the sentence which, with time served, will see him back out on the streets in May, 2023.
THE REALITY IS WHAT YOU DID TO THEM LIVES WITH THEM FOR THEIR LIFE
JUDGE DEAN MORZONE