Russell Island’s Elijah Duffy, 22, downs 20 VBs before ‘disgusting’ sex assault on acquaintance in ride share vehicle

“Absolutely deplorable”: A court has heard a woman was so horrified by a sexual assault in a ride share vehicle on Russell Island she hit her head on a dashboard in an attempt to escape.

A 22-year-old Russell Island concreter who sexually assaulted an acquaintance in front of a ride share driver while “blackout drunk” has escaped a jail sentence in part because he groped her on the outside of her clothing, a court has heard.

Appearing at Cleveland Magistrates Court on July 22 Elijah Duffy pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault.

The court heard Duffy on April 5 shared a ride share vehicle with an acquaintance at Coro St on Russell Island where his unwanted advances were repeatedly met with a vocal “no” from his victim.

Russell Island man Elijah Duffy leaves Cleveland Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to sexual assault.

The assault escalated to groping the woman’s stomach, then grabbing her right breast and ended with him kissing her on the side of the mouth.

The court heard his victim was so distressed by the incident she hit her head on the vehicle’s dashboard in an attempt to get away.

A police prosecutor said the shocked driver drove the woman to her home and assisted in alerting police.

The prosecution submitted that a jail sentence was “well within range” for Duffy who told officers he could recall little of the incident because he got “blackout drunk” with regularity and had drunk 20 VB beers.

Duffy had no similar criminal history but had been sentenced for drug offending in 2019 and 2020.

A solicitor for the defence said her client had stopped drinking since the incident for which he was deeply embarrassed.

Duffy pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a woman in a ride share vehicle on Russell Island.

A submission that the defendant suffered from impulse control due to a serious accident and two-month-long hospital stay, was not accepted by the court for the lack of medical documentation.

The court heard Duffy wanted to leave the island but would stay due to his successful employment in concreting and carpentry.

Magistrate Deborah Vasta described his behaviour as “absolutely deplorable” and “disgusting” but stopped short of a jail sentence due to the man’s age, his lack of relevant criminal history and because he groped on the outside of her clothing.

“I am going to put this down to a moment of madness and not a reflection of a deeper issue with women,” Magistrate Vasta said.

“In about 30 seconds you could have completely changed your life.”

Duffy was sentenced to three years’ probation and ordered to pay his victim $800 in restitution.

He was further placed on a two-year non-contact order with the woman.