Clinton James Tuite jailed for attacking, trying to rape Chirnside Park woman

A man armed with a piece of wood broke into a woman’s Chirnside Park home and waited in her bedroom before tying her up and trying to rape her. But while the planned attack happened in 2007, he was only sentenced last month — here’s why.

Detectives matched Tuite’s DNA to cigarette butts found near the crime scene.

A man who broke into a woman’s Chirnside Park home and tried to rape her before stepping on her throat until she passed out has been sentenced to 10 years’ and two months’ prison.

The Supreme Court heard Clinton James Tuite disguised and armed himself then waited in his victim’s bedroom ahead of the attack in the early hours of October 13, 2007.

At the court hearing on March 22, Justice Elizabeth Hollingworth ordered Tuite, 35, serve a fixed period of seven years behind bars before becoming eligible for parole, after he was convicted by a jury in October 2018.

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He was only arrested for the incident more than four years after it occurred when he provided police with a DNA sample on an unrelated charge, which then struck a match with evidence from the 2007 attack, the court heard.

Issues with counsel and DNA testing meant it was another six years before Tuite was declared guilty of aggravated burglary, attempted rape, indecent assault and intentionally causing injury.

On the night of the attack, the court heard Tuite tied the victim up with cable ties, blindfolded and gagged her, and hit her with a piece of wood he had brought into the house as he tried to rape her.

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He then stood on her throat until she lost consciousness.

When she regained consciousness, he had removed her restraints and pulled up her pants.

He told the woman she had fallen asleep, before fleeing the house.

Police found cigarette butts at a neighbouring property, where they believed the offender had been watching the house, which were later matched to Tuite’s DNA.

The court heard Tuite, who was 23 at the time, had no prior convictions, but went on to attain two dozen subsequent convictions for burglary, drug and driving offences.

In giving her verdict, Justice Hollingworth noted Tuite struck the victim to the head with the piece of wood when she was already restrained, “in an entirely gratuitous act of violence”.

“(The victim) was completely defenceless,” she said.

Justice Hollingworth also noted “there was nothing spontaneous about the offending,” and that Tuite had shown no remorse for it, still maintaining his innocence at sentencing.