Jail for ‘painful’ rape

A MAN who used a knife to pry open a woman’s bedroom door and rape her was sentenced in Cairns District Court on Thursday.

Randolph Solomon Lefoe pleaded guilty to rape.

The court heard that Mr Lefoe was drinking and using cannabis with a group of people at a regional Queensland home.

The woman went to bed with her partner, locked the door and was asleep at about 11pm, when Mr Lefoe used a butter knife to unlock the door.

He lay down next to the sleeping woman and smiled as he digitally raped her, the court heard.

Prosecutor Christian Peters said the woman was in a place where she should have been safe.

He said the woman felt considerable pain.

Mr Peters read a victimimpact statement to the court in which the woman described her ongoing fear and anxiety.

“Since it happened I have struggled to sleep, I remember everything that happened and feel like I am reliving it,” the woman said in her statement.

“Even though I live with my boyfriend and brother, I am scared in the house, I still feel alone with my thoughts.

“I’ve lost all trust in others, have struggled to be close to my boyfriend, I feel I don’t know myself anymore,” the woman said.

Defence barrister Michael Dalton said the offence was consistent with impaired judgment from alcohol and cannabis use.

He said Mr Lefoe, who has two children, had never been unemployed, was working as a ranger and would have a job when released. Mr Dalton said although his client had spent 320 days in prison, he had been unable to undertake rehabilitation programs at Lotus Glen Correctional Centre because there were long waiting lists.

Judge Paul Smith sentenced Mr Lefoe to 3½ years with parole eligibility from July 2022, taking into account his guilty plea and time served.

“Your criminal history is starting to get long now, so it is important you do something about your problems particularly alcohol and drugs,” Judge Smith said.