Casino’s Benjamin Ross Stevens jailed for intimidation and sexual assault of Northern Rivers woman
A Casino man found guilty of forcing himself on a woman and sexually assaulting her has heard his fate in a Northern Rivers court.
Lismore
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A Casino house painter and abattoir worker who stalked, intimidated and sexually assaulted a woman has heard his fate in a Northern Rivers court.
Benjamin Ross Stevens faced Lismore District Court for sentencing.
The 33-year-old was found guilty by a jury of two counts of sexual intercourse without consent and three counts of stalking/intimidating intending fear or physical harm.
Stevens’ offending occurred on the North Coast between December 2018 and June 2019.
Family and friends of the woman Stevens attacked filled the public gallery in support.
The court heard Stevens verbally abused the woman known to him during a night out drinking.
When they spoke the next day, Stevens said: “Are you going to come here and f--k me or am I going to f--k someone else?”
She was upset and responded: “What do you think?”
Stevens then forced himself on the victim and had oral and penetrative sex without her consent, the court heard.
The next afternoon Stevens wrote to the victim via a text messaging service and his behaviour included threatening self harm.
Police arrested Stevens and the woman told police about abuse she endured from Stevens - and the sexual assault.
She worried that “his level of aggression is getting worse”.
But the woman agreed to meet with Stevens on another occasion.
She bravely asked Stevens “What makes you think it’s okay to sexually assault me?”
Stevens denied the conversation ever took place during a trial.
The woman has since moved away from the Northern Rivers area.
The court heard Stevens could be a “loving man”, but he “significantly changed”.
Stevens, who experienced a troubled upbringing, told police he “found it difficult to control his temper” and he had stopped taking neccesary medication.
Judge Jennifer English told the court the offending was violent.
“He lost self control because she refused him, not because of his depression,” she said.
Ms English said a message had to be sent to the community.
Stevens will serve an overarching prison term of five years and six months and will be eligible for parole on January 11, 2026.
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