Joshua Petranker: Swim coach faces jail over Rose Agius attack
Bloodied and bruised, an elderly woman was left unconscious after an attack at the hands of a man she took in as a 14-year-old. So shocking was the ordeal she was too scared to attend court and has been left vomiting in fear.
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An elderly woman who was bashed in her own home by a former employee has spoken of the horror she faced the night she was left bleeding and unconscious by a man she trusted.
Former swim coach Rose Agius, 74, was too scared to attend the Downing Centre District Court on Friday to come face-to-face with her attacker Joshua Avsalom Petranker.
Petranker, from Peakhurst, is in jail awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to break and enter and causing actual bodily harm.
Ms Agius’ victim impact statement, which was read to the court by a friend, detailed the terror she experienced at the hands of Petranker and how the attack has changed her life.
The court was told Petranker was caught in the walk-in wardrobe where he hit Ms Agius over the head and when she regained consciousness he returned to attack her again.
He then continued to ransack the Lugarno home, where he worked for Ms Agius as a swim school teacher.
She was then left alone in the property and only found 16 hours later.
“I am nervous, I have been vomiting at the thought of having to see Joshua Petranker,” her victim impact statement said.
“I am so nervous all the time I now want to sell my house which has been my family home for 35 years but I am too scared to have a real estate agent into my home.
“I am very scared when Joshua gets out of jail because he used to live so close to me.”
The court heard the elderly victim had taken Petranker in as a 14-year-old boy and was close to her.
Now 38, Petranker said through his lawyer he was “disgusted” with himself.
“He has hope for the future he does understand right from wrong,” defence barrister Pauline David said.
Ms Agius said her cheek is still “sunken” and her teeth are still cracked despite a six-week stint in hospital after the attack.
She had been punched and kicked multiple times during the ordeal.
Judge Dina Yehia squashed his defence’s attempt to minimise the attack as anything less than “gratuitous violence”.
“He could have just left,” Judge Yehia said.
“Not only did he come back (after the first strike knocked the victim out), he came back and continued to attack her again.”
Petranker‘s sentence will be handed down at Lismore District Court on July 10.
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