Anthony Doyle found guilty of breaking into a house and sexually assaulting homeowner

A sex predator who broke into a stranger’s house stark naked and straddled the sleeping homeowner said he wouldn’t have been in trouble if he had targeted someone younger.

A “peculiar” predator on a mission for sex decided to get completely naked and then scaled a balcony before straddling a sleeping stranger.

Anthony Doyle, 26, was found guilty by a jury of eight women and four men in the Adelaide District Court on Tuesday to assault with intent to rape and serious criminal trespass.

Carmen Matteo, for the prosecution, told the court in her opening statement Doyle broke into an Elizabeth East house on September 14, 2020 and sexually assaulted the 68-year-old occupant while she was sleeping.

“Sometime after midnight, (the victim) woke to the feeling of a weight on top of her,” Ms Matteo said.

“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.

“The bedroom was dark and she initially thought that it was her husband.

“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.

“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 court heard police found sneakers and socks on the ground under the balcony and a jacket in the rear yard.

“On the prosecution case, 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 females in the house and mentioned 20 something-year-old women.

The court heard Doyle initially tried to enter by the front and back doors and when that didn’t work he decided to climb up to the top floor.

“As he was entering he was getting the idea that he had met the person before and he was attracted to her,” Ms Matteo said.

“He heard the person in the bed snoring, moved up next to her and smelt her neck and head area.

“He moved down the blanket slowly.”

Anthony Doyle was found guilty of assault with intent to rape and serious criminal trespass. Photo: Facebook

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 he had a feeling he would not be in that situation, 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.

Doyle, of Elizabeth East, pleaded not guilty to assault with intent to rape, an alternative charge of indecent assault and serious criminal trespass.

Adam Gaite, for Doyle, told the court there was no dispute he entered the house but rather his intentions once inside.

Mr Gaite told the court Doyle’s “apparent calmness” suggested he didn’t have an intention to rape anyone but was hoping to have consensual sexual intercourse with someone his own age.

“You might think this is consistent with him not being a predator, an animal but rather a peculiar individual who had a strange mindset about how he can engage in sexual activity,” he said.

Doyle, who has been in custody since his arrest, will face court next month for sentencing submissions.