Andrew Garner: Cohuna paedophile sentenced for historic sex crimes

A Cohuna paedophile turned his family’s bathroom into a den of horrific abuse and told his young victims no one would believe their “lies”.

A Cohuna paedophile turned his family’s bathroom into a den of horrific abuse and told his young victims no one would believe their “lies”, a court has heard.

Andrew Garner, 57, pleaded guilty to sexually abusing two boys more than three decades ago in Victoria’s County Court on Tuesday.

The court heard Garner sexually abused two boys between 1978 and 1981.

Garner was 14 when the abuse, which lasted six years, started.

The court heard Garner pushed his seven-year-old victim in the bathroom and told him to shut up and locked the door.

He then forced his victim to give him oral sex.

On a separate occasion, the court heard Garner, 17, was waiting at the end of a hallway smiling when he forced him into a bathroom.

He masturbated in front of him before forcing the victim to give him oral sex again.

Garner cornered a 12-year-old boy in his bungalow between 1983-1984 where he sexually abused him.

His attention then turned to the younger boy, who was only seven-years-old when he was abused twice between 1981-1982.

He abused the younger boy and told him: “Don’t tell anyone because no one will believe a liar.”

His two victims, now 50 and 46, delivered harrowing victim impact statements to the court.

“I just want him to admit he did it,” the younger boy said in his victim impact statement.

“I hope I can move on with my life now.

“I buried this in my mind for 36 years.

“I have nightmares and images in my head.

“This crime haunts me.”

He said he struggled to form trusting relationships with other men and lived with anxiety, unresolved trauma and suicidal thoughts.

“If it wasn’t for my son, I think I would be dead now,” he said.

“I’m trying to mend the barriers I’ve put up.

“I know I run away from things … I live on the street just to get away from people.”

Judge John Smallwood said the humiliation, shame and guilt felt by victims of historical sex abuse meant the crimes committed against them were often not exposed until many years later.

Judge Smallwood said the trauma of Garner’s abuse “flooded back” as his now-adult victims came forward.

He said he suspected Garner’s plea, which was entered just before his trial, was a “pragmatic plea” but he had to “give him the benefit of the doubt for remorse”.

Judge Smallwood said the now 57-year-old would have been dealt with in the Children’s Court had he been caught during the period of his offending.

“Clearly you’ve reoffended on at least two occasions,” he said.

Judge Smallwood said the latest convictions had delayed Garner’s parole eligibility for nine months.

He gave Garner a three month conviction with a 24 month suspended sentence – making an effective sentence of 12 months in prison.