Bateau Bay: Brett Anthony Crawford charged with alleged sexual assault of woman, 90, in nursing home

A man has been charged with allegedly sexually assaulting a 90-year-old woman in a nursing home on the Central Coast. Here is what we know.

Brett Anthony Crawford has been charged with alleged sexual assault of a 90-year-old woman in a Central Coast nursing home. Picture: NSW Police

A man has been charged with breaking into a 90-year-old woman’s room at a nursing home at Bateau Bay, on the NSW Central Coast, where he allegedly sexually assaulted her.

Police say about 12.40am on Wednesday, 34-year-old Brett Anthony Crawford allegedly broke into a nursing home and sexually assaulted the woman after he used bedding to silence her cries for help.

Sex Crimes Squad commander Detective Superintendent Jayne Doherty alleged he pinned the woman to the bed and caused injuries to her arms, legs and head.

The injuries allegedly caused her arms to bleed and her skin to tear.

Crawford allegedly stole items and fled.

Brett Anthony Crawford has been charged with sexual assault of a 90-year-old woman at a Central Coast nursing home. Picture: NSW Police

The woman was taken to hospital where she was treated for serious injuries.

Tuggerah Lakes Police established a crime scene before the investigation was taken over by the State Crime Command’s Sex Crimes Squad under Strike Force Easterbrook.

About 9.20pm on Friday, strike force detectives — with assistance from Raptor Squad — conducted a search at an address in The Entrance.

During the search, police located electronics, SIM cards and clothing relevant to their investigation. The items were seized to undergo further forensic examination.

Following further inquiries, about 7.30pm on Monday, strike force detectives, along with police from Tuggerah Lakes, Lake Macquarie, the Regional Enforcement Squad, and Police Transport Command attended a home in Caves Beach where Crawford was arrested after allegedly attempting to flee from police by jumping a fence.

The man was taken to Belmont police station. Picture: Google Maps

He was taken to hospital for minor injuries to his arm.

On his release from hospital, the 34-year-old was taken to Belmont police station where he was charged with aggravated breaking and entering and committing a serious indictable offence while using violence, inflicting actual bodily harm with intent to have sexual intercourse, aggravated sexual assault and aggravated sexual assault.

In Belmont Local Court on Tuesday Crawford did not appear and no application for bail was made.

Legal aid solicitor Alison Nowland told the court her client needed to go to forensic hospital for assessment for a review of his mental health and medication.

The charges were also transferred back to Gosford Local Court until February next year.

Supt Doherty said the man’s alleged motive remained a mystery.

Sex Crimes Squad Commander Detective Superintendent Jayne Doherty said the man’s alleged motive remained a mystery. Picture: NSW Police

“Hopefully that will come out throughout the court process,” she told reporters at a briefing at NSW Police Headquarters at Parramatta.

“So far we haven’t been able to find out any connection between this male, the aged care facility and the woman prior to the commission of this (alleged) offence.

“A lot of security was in place and since this incident they’ve actually hired extra security to make sure their residents feel safer, and they’ve done a safety risk of the facility to upgrade wherever possible.’’

Supt Doherty said it was not known why the man allegedly chose that aged care facility.

“We can’t find any connection prior to this. All we can assume is that it was an opportunistic incident,” she said.
“It’s extremely sad that these incidents occur in the first place and our heart goes out to the victim, her family and all the other residents of this aged care home.

“We understand that the community will be in uproar of this type of (alleged) offence.

“It’s horrendous that any person in the safety of their home would be (allegedly) attacked like this but to attack a very defenceless old lady is beyond relief.

“We spent quite a number of days searching for him; we’ve had help from the community, from various agencies to try and local areas to identify this man, and to track him down which ultimately led us to an address at Caves Beach yesterday.”

Supt Doherty said the woman remained traumatised.

“She is in the care of family and medical care as she’s recovering from very severe wounds to her arms.

“As you can understand being elderly her skin has torn quite significantly where pressure was applied. She is currently recovering with family around her.’’