Northern Rivers builder Brett David Anderson jailed for sexually assaulting woman at party

A Northern Rivers builder who denied sexually assaulting a woman during an alcohol fuelled party claimed he was “being a friend” despite being “told no more than once” – and has learned his fate in court.

Downing Centre, Sydney. Picture: Monique Harmer

A Northern Rivers builder who woke a woman from her sleep by sexually abusing her following a party will have years to think about his actions behind bars.

Brett David Anderson, 34, of Goonellabah, stood trial in Lismore District Court before Judge Craig Smith in November 2024 after pleading not guilty in October 30, 2023 to sexual intercourse without consent and two counts of sexually touching another person without consent.

He has since been jailed after being sentenced for the vulgar crimes.

Disgraced builder, Goonellabah man Brett David Anderson.

Anderson previously claimed the allegations against him were “lies fabricated by a woman on meds and cocaine”.

Anderson said in the trial he was just “being a friend” to the woman when he “apologised” over text.

At trial, the prosecution told the court the woman exchanged messages with Anderson after the night and wrote: “Brett what you did was so f--king wrong, I told you ‘no’ not just once … I’m honestly broken … I can’t live with myself.”

A group including Anderson partied at a venue in 2022, the court heard.

The prosecution said the group drank alcohol and allegedly did lines of cocaine. No one from the group was hit with drug charges.

Goonellabah man Brett David Anderson.

The court heard that later in the night, the victim’s bedroom door was partially open when she dozed off about 8pm and Anderson separated from the group.

Anderson denied entering her bedroom while she was “partially asleep”, touching himself and trying to force his penis into her mouth.

He denied touching himself and ejaculating into the woman’s mouth, manhandling her, dry humping and sexually abusing her.

Brett David Anderson sentenced in the Supreme Court for offences linked to a cocaine and alcohol-fuelled party. .

The court heard the victim reported the crime almost a week later to her GP before submitting bed linen to police for DNA testing, however, no DNA profile was linked to Anderson.

Crown prosecutor Sam Rigby said the woman had been “in shock” because the alleged offender was “not a stranger”.

Downing Centre Court on Liverpool Street, Sydney. Picture: John Grainger

Mr Rigby said the victim told Anderson in messages: “You made me scared as hell – you hurt me in so many ways and you just kept going after I told you no.”

The court heard Anderson replied: “I’ll never forgive myself for hurting you, I’m so sorry I never meant to hurt you. I’m so broken that I’ve hurt you. I can’t live with myself knowing I’ve put you through that.”

The prosecution said Anderson pleaded with the alleged victim not to tell her then-husband.

Mr Rigby told the jury the trial was not about the woman’s mental health or medication, and “certainly not” about mistaken identity.

Anderson has been jailed for sexually assaulting a woman at a drug-fuelled party.

A 12-person jury returned a unanimous verdict of guilty of all charges at 11am on December 3 after deliberations began around midday on Friday.

Judge Craig Smith sentenced Anderson from the Downing Centre in Sydney on March 6 to an aggregate term of imprisonment of five years, six months with a non-parole period of three years, three months.

Anderson will be eligible for parole on March 2, 2028.

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Originally published as Northern Rivers builder Brett David Anderson jailed for sexually assaulting woman at party