Brett David Hill sentenced for kidnap and rape of 11-year-old girl in Adamstown
A man — who savagely raped and kidnapped a girl, aged 11, in Newcastle last year — has been jailed after his victim read out an emotional and heartbreaking impact statement in court.
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With her mum and dog by her side, a brave little girl faced her attacker at Newcastle District Court on Tuesday, waiting for this exact moment to look him in the face and tell him how he has affected her whole life.
At just 11 years old, walking to school, she was savagely kidnapped and raped at Adamstown Heights in a brutal five hour ordeal on June 12 at Hudson Park last year.
Brett David Hill, 49, the man responsible was today jailed for 23 years and six months with a non-parole period of 17 years, after he pleaded guilty to nine offences including aggravated sexual assault, kidnapping and possessing child pornography.
The court heard the gruesome details of the rape where the young girl was grabbed around 9am and dragged off the path and into the bushes as he yelled, “do you want to live tomorrow”, and “shut-up or I’ll suffocate you”.
Hill then sexually assaulted the 11-year-old on numerous occasions, tied her to a tree and threw her in his vehicle to take her to two other isolated bush locations, before finally releasing her near the Kotara train station at 2pm.
Hill entered the dock with a full beard and kept his head down, as he avoided the eyes of family members while he awaited his fate.
The victim, now 13, read out an impact statement, powerful words which stated she may look strong on the outside but was breaking down inside.
“I’ve been waiting to tell you how this has affected my life,” she told the court.
“I used to think I was pretty and confident, I loved my life and my world was safe, I had nothing to worry about. I had heard about sexual assault but I thought it couldn’t happen to me.
“You stole my body that day but also my happiness. You kidnapped and raped me and my life as I knew it.
“I have flashbacks, I feel numb and intense panic, I can’t sleep and I see your faces everywhere which should be safe.
“I have experienced so much pain and sadness, I have had suicidal thoughts because I have wanted this pain to stop.
“I will have to deal this for the rest of my life, why me.
“You took away my safety, my life but I survived and I’m holding you accountable.”
When Hill, who has three children of his own, took to the stand he sobbed when asked about his response to that raw account.
“I’m so sorry,” he cried.
“I never set this day to be a horrible person but I did, something I thought I would never do.
“I hope one day you can move on from this.”
Hill’s defence barrister Andrew Norrie said his client, who was currently in Silverwater jail, was in protection, secluded from other inmates, who had assaulted and made death threats against him.
Mr Norrie said Hill had been a cannabis user for some 20 years and the day of the attack was using synthetic cannabis, which made him do things he usually didn’t.
Crown Prosecutor Lee Carr SC said Hill had a degree of planning and premeditation in the attack, arguing the remorse shown was delayed and for self interest.
“Remorse is not a dish served cold, it’s best when warm,” he said.
“There was a degree of calculation on that day. This young girl was treated by this man as a sexual toy.
“It’s almost incomprehensible the fear it must bring to an 11 year old.
“This represents every parents worst nightmare come to haunt them.”
As Judge Roy Ellis read the details of the attack out before sentencing Hill, he shook his head with his hands over his face.
“No doubt the victim was unbelievably terrified, she showed enormous intelligence and character,” he said.
“The way in which she dealt with these traumas was a credit to her.
“The criminality is so high and a very lengthy term of imprisonment will follow.”
Hill’s sentence of at least 17 years behind bars followed and as he got up to leave the courtroom a family member yelled, “Hope you burn in hell you scum”.
He will be eligible for parole in 2035.