British ski instructor laughed as he sexually assaulted woman, 22
A British ski instructor who laughed as he sexually assaulted a woman and brutally beat the man who tried to save her has been jailed.
Matthew Williams was sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment in Australia yesterday for attacking a 22-year-old woman and 25-year-old man in the early hours of July 5 last year.
the 29-year-old pleaded guilty to the attack in April. At the time, police said they believed there was more than one attacker as the victims’ injuries were so severe.
Williams was in Australia on a temporary visa working as a skicross and alpine racing instructor at the Blue Cow Perisher ski resort at Jindabyne, in New south Wales’ snowy Mountains. the resort’s website listed him as
‘Cowardly and violent’
a ‘highly experienced and knowledgeable’ teacher who had worked with its snow school since 2014.
the court heard the victims had been drinking at the Banjo Paterson inn in Jindabyne, south of Canberra, with family and friends – where Williams had also been drinking. CCtV footage captured the moment he pursued the pair when they left the pub.
As they realised they were being followed, the 25-year-old male tourist noticed Williams and said: ‘how’s it going, mate?’
Williams didn’t respond, but walked behind the man, touched him on the shoulder, then punched him in the face and kicked him until he fell unconscious.
Williams then turned on the woman and punched her in the face several times, knocking her to the ground. she screamed: ‘What do you want? Do you want money? take what you want.’ he then sexually assaulted her, laughing as she lost consciousness, the sydney Morning herald reported.
she woke up pinned to the ground by Williams, who once again punched her before ripping off her clothing. her male friend regained consciousness and tried to intervene, but he was again kicked into submission.
the assault ended only when a passing car spooked Williams into fleeing the scene. the woman suffered severe bruising all over her body and face, while the man sustained serious injuries, including a broken nose and eye socket.
Williams left a watch at the scene, which he originally said had been stolen. DNA testing also identified him as the attacker.
he initially denied involvement in the attack, but in April pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual assault, inflicting actual bodily harm with intent to have sexual intercourse with another, and possessing a prohibited drug. three other assault charges were dropped. Justice Nicole Noman told the New south Wales District Court at Queanbeyan that Williams was cowardly and violent. ‘[the attack] must have been horrifying in its intensity and severity,’ she said.
Williams apologised to the victims via a letter he presented to the court. Defence lawyer John Purnell QC said that Williams’s actions were ‘out of character’, and had severe consequences for him as well as his victims.
Williams will be eligible for parole after seven years and then deported to the UK upon his release, the BBC reported.