Gavin Mark Warren Lovejoy convicted of raping woman after breaking into her home

A young truck driver who broke into a Bundaberg woman’s home while she slept and did the unthinkable, has fronted court. WARNING: Distressing content

A Bundaberg woman woke in terror to find a naked intruder in her bed, doing the unthinkable.

Gavin Mark Warren Lovejoy had broken into her home, crawled into her bed and started performing oral sex on her, causing her to wake up screaming.

Harrowing details of the attack were detailed in Bundaberg District Court on Thursday where Lovejoy pleaded guilty to three charges - burglary, rape and sexual assault with circumstances of aggravation.

The court heard on May 15 Lovejoy, 28, had broken the screen on the woman’s bathroom window about 1am before making his way to her bedroom.

There, he “cuddled” his sleeping victim before pulling her pants down, fondling and digitally penetrating her before she woke.

“At that point she noticed her pants had been pulled down and the defendant wasn’t wearing any pants and his penis was erect,” Crown Prosecutor Carla Ahern told the court.

“She jumped up and told the defendant to ‘get the f--- out’ of her house.”

The court heard Lovejoy apologised and when the victim asked him why he had done what he had, he responded “I just wanted to f---”.

When he was gone, the victim noticed the screen in her bathroom window had been broken and part of it was in the toilet.

The District Court sentence was held at Bundaberg Court House.

Lovejoy was soon charged and remanded in custody, having admitted his acts to police and giving further information that he had spent five to 10 minutes with his finger inside his victim’s vagina during the offending.

Barrister Nick Larter told the court Lovejoy, a former North Bundaberg State High School student, had shown remorse.

He said his client had been in a long-term stable relationship with his partner, who was in court supporting him, and had maintained work as either a truck driver or labourer most of his adult life.

Lovejoy, who had no prior criminal history, was said to have been “extremely intoxicated” by alcohol and illicit drugs during the offending and had since completed a substance abuse program while on remand.

He planned to move to North Queensland with his partner to live with his parents.

In sentencing, Judge John Allen noted there was “absolutely no consent” given to Lovejoy and his victim had suffered emotionally and psychologically from the offending which happened when she was at home, in her own bed.

Lovejoy received a head sentence of three years in jail with 131 days in pre-sentence custody declared as time served.

The jail sentence will be suspended after 12 months and hang over his head for four years.