Jebson Herrod jailed for seven years over series of sadistic assaults

Tied up, jaw broken and blood and faeces smeared in her mouth - beaten then sexually and psychologically assaulted for hours. A brave survivor has spoken of the night she thought she would die at the hands of a former Queensland dentist. GRAPHIC CONTENT

A survivor has given a harrowing account of how she had “no doubt” she would die after she was brutally assaulted sexually and physically while tied to a bed for hours.

Jebson John Pidgeon Herrod, 37, was this morning sentenced in the Brisbane District Court to seven years’ jail over a series of sadistic physical, sexual and psychological assaults on the woman.

The former Gympie dentist pleaded guilty to 22 offences including sexual assault, indecent assault and assault occasioning bodily harm.

The violence peaked one night in October 2015 when Herrod tied the woman to a bed, broke her jaw and – in a particularly degrading act – smeared faeces and blood into her mouth until she vomited.

Jebson John Pidgeon Herrod at Supreme Court. Picture: Annette Dew

He then beat her until she was unconscious and “smiled at her” when she woke up when telling her he thought he’d killed her.

“There was no doubt in my mind that I would be dead by sunrise,” the woman bravely told the court at Herrod’s sentence.

“When I was sexually assaulted and tasted the faeces and blood that had been rubbed across my teeth I was in so much shock that I wished I was dead.

“I was waiting, crying, begging, frozen in terror, wondering what death was going to feel like and hoping and praying that my Nan was waiting for me. When I realised I was still alive I felt numb.”

At one point when Herrod left the room and came back with a knife.

Jebson Herrod was suspended by the Queensland Health Ombudsman from treating patients.

“When he leant over and cut the zip ties from me I was falling all over myself to thank him for his kindness. For sparing my life,” she said.

“He hugged me into him after violently assaulting me for hours and he fell asleep while I tried to stay still.”

During the sentence hearing, barrister Terry Morgan said Herrod had no memory of the assaults and was remorseful because he had written an apology to the woman days before his sentence.

But Judge Clare said these claims were “not credible” and that Herrod’s diagnosis of a narcissistic personality disorder did not mitigate his offending.

“You have shown consistently those traits of self-absorption...and a proneness to anger with a need to dominate those who cause offence,” she said.

“A personality disorder is not a mental health condition which impairs your relevant capacity, it is a partial explanation but it does not alleviate your responsibility.”

Judge Leanne Clare SC said the assaults had been sadistic and he had “inflicted pain and humiliation just because” he wanted to.

Herrod was sentenced to seven years’ jail and will be eligible for parole in October 2023.

The woman said she felt as though she had been carrying around a 20kg boulder for 4.5 years.

She said while she has “lived in fear every single day” because of Herrod’s actions, she had begun to heal.

“When I am 80 years old, and perhaps write a memoir, I hope that (this) suffering will be nothing more than a brief footnote in what will be a book about my happy, loving, loved and fulfilling life.”

*For 24-hour sexual violence support call the national hotline 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or MensLine on 1800 600 636.