Anthony Doyle to be sentenced for breaking into a house and sexually assaulting homeowner

An Adelaide grandmother has called her husband a hero after he restrained the naked intruder who broke into their house and straddled her, while asking ‘do you want me?’

An Adelaide grandmother has told the “peculiar” predator who got completely naked and straddled her in an “utterly frightening” attack that he shattered the sanctity of their beloved family home.

Anthony Doyle, 26, was found guilty by a jury in July to assault with intent to rape and serious criminal trespass, after he broke into the 68-year-old woman’s Elizabeth East house and sexually assaulted her.

In statements read to the District Court last week, the victim described her husband, who opted to restrain Doyle without violence, as a hero.

The court heard the couple, who suffered ongoing trauma from the attack, had since sold their family home, where they had brought up their children and enjoyed visits from their grandchildren.

“Our home was generally full of love, safety, happiness and laughter — until September 2020 when you entered my home uninvited and shattered this,” the victim said.

“Hopefully you will learn that if you are ever to enter society again you will need to treat women with respect and dignity and not just someone to meet your sexual urges.”

Carmen Matteo, for the prosecution, told the court Doyle’s entry into the house was “surreptitious” and he had clear intentions once inside.

“He had to know that this conduct in the house, once he removed all of his clothing, was going to be utterly frightening to whoever he encountered there,” she said.

Ms Matteo told the court during Doyle’s trial the victim woke up sometime after midnight on September 14, 2020 to the feeling of weight on top of her.

“She became aware of the feeling of a person straddling her with their legs on either side of her and a hand over her mouth,” she said.

“The victim then used her hand to try and push the person away and felt that they were naked and had an erect penis.”

The victim turned on the bedroom light and saw Doyle.

Anthony Doyle will be sentenced next month for assault with intent to rape and serious criminal trespass. Photo: Facebook

“She pushed the male away and asked ‘who the f--- are you?’,” Ms Matteo said.

“He appeared calm and said ‘I’m looking for someone. Do you want me?’”

The woman’s husband took hold of Doyle and detained him until the police arrived.

“The accused had been progressively undressing himself as he made his way into the premises and down into the victim’s bedroom,” Ms Matteo said.

“By the time the accused entered (the victim’s bedroom) on the ground floor … he was stark naked.”

The court heard Doyle told police in an interview he had a “bit of an aura” that there might be young women in the house.

The court heard Doyle admitted to getting on top of the victim but when the light came on and he realised she was an older lady his mind changed.

“He no longer wanted to put his penis in the person’s mouth because it was not the person he was expecting,” Ms Matteo said.

“He said to police that if it had been someone more his own age … that the person may have had sex with him and he would not have been in trouble.

“He said he has a way with people his age.”

The court heard Doyle had smoked marijuana before the incident.

Adam Gaite, for Doyle, told the court he didn’t intend to rape anyone but rather was hoping to have consensual sexual intercourse with someone his own age.

Mr Gaite told the court Doyle was a “peculiar person” and asked for a lenient sentence, due to his young age and lack of criminal history.

Judge Jane Schammer will sentence Doyle next month.