Salt Creek kidnapper confesses, in SA court, to sexual assault of another tourist two years before his Coorong crimes
EXCLUSIVE: The Salt Creek kidnapper has confessed to sexually assaulting another foreign backpacker who he met online, and offered to take to Melbourne, two years before his Coorong crimes.
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THE Salt Creek kidnapper has confessed to sexually assaulting another foreign backpacker who he met online, and offered to take to Melbourne, two years before his Coorong crimes.
In circumstances chillingly similar to his infamous acts, the man approached the tourist through the Gumtree website and suggested they travel interstate via the Great Ocean Road.
His guilty plea, in the Supreme Court on Monday, brings the total number of female backpackers targeted by the man, through the website’s ride-sharing section, to 15.
Of those women, he indecently assaulted two and repeatedly bashed a third with a hammer before mowing her down with his four-wheel drive.
A fourth escaped injury after telling the man that she had taken photos of him and his car and posted them online — he then ended their trip prematurely.
The Advertiser can finally report details of the third set of allegations levelled against the man after succeeding in having longstanding suppression orders varied.
Justice Malcolm Blue agreed it was in the public interest for community to know the man’s full slate of charges.
The man, 60, whose identity is suppressed, is awaiting sentencing for a raft of offences including indecent assault, aggravated causing serious harm, and aggravated kidnapping.
He was convicted, by a jury, of having committed those crimes against two backpackers — from Brazil and Germany — at Salt Creek in February 2016.
Jurors found, beyond reasonable doubt, he tied and sexually assaulted the Brazilian on the beach, and threatened her with a knife.
They also found that, when the German tried to intervene, the man struck her four times in the head with a hammer and then repeatedly rammed her with his vehicle.
Following his convictions, the man stood a second trial on charges of rape and false imprisonment.
Prosecutors alleged that, in January 2016 — a month before events at Salt Creek — the man tied a woman to his bedhead with a satin cord and then raped her.
That woman, they alleged, was his girlfriend — whom he met through an online dating site.
The court has yet to hand down its verdict on those offences.
On Monday, the man was due to face his third trial on counts of indecent assault and assault with intent to rape.
Prosecution documents alleged those offences took place in September 2014, and the victim was a foreign tourist backpacking her way around Australia.
The documents further alleged the man first made contact with the victim via Gumtree.
Prior to a jury being empanelled, prosecutor Jim Pearce QC — who has handled all of the man’s cases so far — told Justice Blue the case had been resolved.
He said a plea bargain had been brokered by which the man would plead guilty to indecent assault, and the second charge would be withdrawn.
After the man entered his plea, Justice Blue said he would transfer sentencing of the matter to Justice Trish Kelly — who presided over the other two cases.
He remanded the man in custody.
TARGETING BACKPACKERS
Prosecution documents reveal that, between September 2014 and February 2016, the man approached 15 different backpackers.
He contacted them via websites including Gumtree, offering to take them interstate — and often suggesting they stop to go fishing.
The women he approached include:
A WOMAN, nationality unknown, prior to September 2014 who wanted to go to Melbourne via the Great Ocean Rd — and whom he indecently assaulted.
A FRENCH WOMAN who, in November 2015, wanted to go to Melbourne via the Great Ocean Rd.
A GERMAN WOMAN who, in November 2015, wanted to go to Melbourne via the Great Ocean Rd.
A JAPANESE woman who, in November 2015, travelled with the man to Salt Creek — but he ended the trip prematurely after she revealed she had posted photos of him and his four-wheel drive online.
A FRENCH WOMAN who, in January 2016, wanted to go to Alice Springs.
A FRENCH WOMAN who, in January 2016, wanted to go to Darwin.
AN AUSTRALIAN WOMAN who, in January 2016, wanted to go to NSW.
A CANADIAN WOMAN who, in January 2016, wanted to go to Melbourne.
A GERMAN WOMAN who, in January 2016, wanted to go to Melbourne.
A GERMAN WOMAN who, in January 2016, wanted to go to Melbourne.
A BRAZILIAN WOMAN AND A GERMAN WOMAN who, in February 2016, went to Salt Creek with the man and were kidnapped and assaulted.