Alleged rapist bailed, living in Bendigo

A man accused of a historic sex crime in St Albans has been bailed and is living in Bendigo.

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A man accused of a historic sex crime in St Albans has been granted bail and is living in Bendigo.

Samuel Beattie, 47, appeared at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court last week after he was released from the Bendigo hospital psychiatric ward.

Beattie was arrested last year following a sickening alleged sexual assault on a St Albans woman more than two decades ago.

In opposing bail, police prosecutor Shivani Pillai told the court his sexual behaviour should be concerning.

“He is at large with significant mental health issues and has recently been charged with sexual assault, he is presenting very concerning disinhibiting sexual behaviour,” she said.

“There are concerns about him going out drinking at night in terms of him committing offences.”

The following day the matter returned to the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court where Ms Pillai said Mr Beattie’s mental state had been worse while he was remanded to the Bendigo Hospital.

“It also relates to his significant deterioration in his mental health while he has been in hospital and the behaviours he has presented there,” she said.

“There are a number of concerning incidents of a sexual nature.

“The concerns of the prosecution are he’s effectively got schizoaffective disorder with personality and paranoid delusions and psychosis, without and requires monthly depot injections.”

In October he was arrested at his Mount Macedon home and charged for a horrific alleged sexual assault on a St Albans woman more than two decades ago.

Mr Beattie was charged with the 24-year-old sexual assault in St Albans where police allege on July 23, 1996 Beattie broke into an Evergreen Ave home about 5.10am and sexually assaulted a 39-year-old woman who was alone at the time.

Beattie, 47, was charged with two counts of rape and aggravated burglary.

Police allege Samuel John Beattie broke into the 39-year-old woman’s home and forced himself on her, telling his victim “I just want to make love to you”.

The woman has since died but police said DNA swabs taken from the woman after the attack matched a sample taken from Mr Beattie over an unrelated driving matter in 2019.

He would have been 23-years-old at the time of the rape.

Mr Beattie will return to court on June 4.

He is living in a Bendigo motel while seeking long-term accommodation in the area.

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