‘Always sad now’: Sons ‘helpless’ as dad allegedly rapes, attacks mum

Two sons were “helpless” as their dad allegedly duct-taped their mum inside a shed and tried to rape her while they played outside.

Two sons were “helpless” knowing there was nothing they could do to stop their dad as he allegedly tormented and tried to rape their mum, a court has heard.

The man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, appeared in magistrates’ court last week facing charges of sexual assault, breaching bail and court orders.

It is alleged the drunk father duct-taped his ex-partner into their family shed and tried to rape her as their children played outside just metres away on April 10.

The court heard after the woman escaped one son watched the dad grab the mum, push her and verbally abuse her before throwing a garden gnome at the ground.

In a victim impact statement one son said he was “always sad now” and another said he knew his mum “would always protect me – even in my dreams”.

The youngest said he suffers from nightmares of his father hurting his family and he often heard his mother crying herself to sleep at night.

“I didn’t expect dad to say those bad words to us … (on Friday nights) he would always be drunk and silly which was fun, but sometimes it was scary and then it wouldn’t be fun anymore,” he said.

“When dad is around mum goes quiet and sad … if some of her fun and silliness slips out he makes her feel bad.

“I can see it in her eyes.”

The court heard the accused forced his ex-partner’s pants and knickers down and slapped her butt.

It was alleged the woman told him “no” and tried to pull her clothes back on but he followed her, grabbed her breast and tried to take her bra off.

Police said as she pleaded for him to stop he grabbed her other breast and again tried to pull her underpants off twice.

The court heard the mother wept as she struggled to open the taped shut door.

The woman later told police she tried to hide her tears from her children by wearing sunglasses before going back to her home.

Police said her ex-partner followed her, likely still intoxicated, with two young children in the back seat.

She allegedly told him to leave but instead he pinned her in a “bear hug” and rough-housed the children as she tried to get them to bed.

She took his keys to the backyard to draw him out and he followed her allegedly yelling abuse.

It was alleged he then tried to break into the woman’s bedroom via the window before police arrived.

The woman was left shaken and covered in bruises and marks.

He was arrested before being granted bail, with the condition he could not contact his ex-wife or approach her home.

But after just a week he started texting her.

“If you never wanted to talk to me you should have just told me,” one text allegedly said.

“I’m sorry I tried to rape you and duct tape you in my shed.

“I don’t give a f —k about you and I haven’t for ages.

“You can carry on like a houso f —k wit.

“Don’t forget to sent (sic) all these messages to the police.”

The mother said the incident had left her with “holes in my heart and bundles of confusion in my head”.

“It made me feel helpless … kicking me when I was down,” she said.

She told the court she was scared every time she heard a similar male voice or saw people that looked like her ex.

“I constantly found myself flinching at the sight of cars,” she said.

The alleged sexual assault victim said she had not allowed herself to process what happened, as “my job as a mother is to protect my children … (later) it will be my turn to grieve”.

The father said it was “heartbreaking and horrible” to hear his sons’ victim impact statements.

His lawyer said it was ironic his client had lost his job as a prison builder during his 30 days in custody.

On Tuesday June 8 he pleaded guilty to the bail and intervention order breaches but said he would fight the sexual assault and false imprisonment charges.

Magistrate Patrick Southey sentenced him for a community corrections order for the breaches, despite saying the father showed “utter, utter disregard for the intervention order”.

“What every police officer and magistrate fears is that they’ll go around and kill them all,” Mr Southey said.

Mr Southey said the bail, community corrections order and intervention order was a sentencing “triple whammy” if he “puts one step out of line”.

The father of four’s bail application was granted, with a curfew, zero-alcohol condition.

He pleaded guilty to the breaches of the family violence order, but said he would contest the false imprisonment, and five counts of sexual assault.

His bail was granted and he will reappear on Wednesday July 7.