Gardener Anthony Webster spared more jail time after sexually assaulting Dandenong mum
A Dandenong mother-of-two who paid a neighbour to mow her lawn got the shock of her life when she found the man in her bed with his arm around her during a daylight attack. And despite his shocking criminal record, he walked from court.
South East
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A Dandenong gardener who sexually assaulted a woman he was working for while her children were home has walked free from court.
Anthony Webster, 53, was sentenced in the County Court on May 28 after he pleaded guilty to one charge of sexual assault and one charge of trespassing.
Webster, who was known to his victim as “Tony”, lived near the Dandenong mother.
The pair knew each for about 18 months.
Webster had a “loose” arrangement where he would get paid $50-$60 to mow his victim’s lawns and clean her gutters.
He would knock on the mother’s door to ask if he could perform work and she would say “yes” or “no”.
Webster would occasionally jump the back fence or go through the garage to do work without permission.
The pair had never been romantically involved but Webster had once spoken and acted “flirtatiously” towards the woman.
The victim was lying in bed while her two children were at home at 10.46am on February 13, 2018 when Webster entered the house uninvited through the unlocked backdoor.
Webster entered the mother’s room, slid into her bed, cuddled up to her and put his arm around her waist.
The mother was “shocked” when she found out Webster was in her bed.
She asked Webster what he was doing in her bed before asking him to leave.
Webster apologised several times as the mother escorted him out via the front door.
He was arrested, charged and remanded in custody on February 15.
Webster has previous convictions for weapons, drug, violence, driving and dishonesty offending, stalking, failing to answer bail and contravening court orders.
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But Judge Howard Mason noted Webster had no prior convictions for sexual offending.
He noted the short duration of the offence where Webster did not threaten the victim but immediately apologised and left.
“Your offending, whilst in the low range for a charge of sexual assault, remains an act which caused great fear and anxiety for your victim,” he said.
“It amounted to a very brazen and terrifying experience for her.”
Webster was sentenced to time already served — 257 days — and ordered to complete a two-year community corrections order.