Knife-wielding burglar who ‘terrorised’ victim when he sexually assaulted has been jailed for eight years

A man who broke into a woman’s home and ran a knife across her chest has been sentenced to eight years behind bars for the terrifying attack.

Takavaha Leveni will be sentenced in the County Court on March 4.

A knife-wielding burglar who “terrorised” a woman when he sexually assaulted her in a horrifying home invasion has been jailed for eight years.

Takavaha Leveni, 37, was sentenced in the County Court on Friday after he broke into the woman’s Footscray home in the early hours of February 28, 2020, while on bail.

He pushed her onto a bed before fondling her breasts, running a knife across her chest and pouring a liquid – believed to be methylated spirits – on her buttocks.

He also placed his hands down her pants and rubbed himself against her before making off with a mobile phone, wallet and passport.

Judge Scott Johns, when sentencing Leveni, said the woman “quite reasonably feared for her life”.

“You terrorised her, causing fear of rape, fear of being set alight and fear of being killed,” he said.

Takavaha Leveni has been sentenced in the County Court after he broke into a woman's Footscray home, threatened her with a knife and fondled her breasts. Picture: Victoria Police

Judge Johns added the woman was not able to remain at her home despite recently moving in.

“She had to experience the displacement and stress of moving, paying a new bond and resettling while trying to cope with the emotional and psychological impacts of your crimes.”

Leveni was expressionless and stared straight ahead as his sentence was handed down.

Judge Johns said he accepted Leveni did not enter his victim’s home with the intention of sexually assaulting her.

“The sexual assaults were not premeditated but fall into a class of offending that can be described as opportunistic, but they are nonetheless very serious examples of the crime of sexual assault,” he said.

“You violated her person, you violated her human rights and safety in the most degrading and humiliating way.”

The court also heard that hours after the sexual assault, Leveni attempted to break into a nearby unit.

A woman, who was six-months pregnant, was sleeping when she heard rustling and a tapping noise from outside her bathroom window around 8.40am.

She saw Leveni push his hand through the window as he removed the flyscreen and tried to pull back the blinds.

Takavaha Leveni will spend years behind bars from his crimes. Picture: Victoria Police

Six days later, Leveni was arrested, found hiding under a pile of clothes inside a Flemington unit.

He was charged with 12 offences, but only pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated burglary, and one count each of attempted burglary and theft.

He denied the sexual attacks and opted to go to trial.

But a jury found him guilty of four counts of sexual assault and one count of assault.

The court on Friday heard the father of three had a history of substance abuse and was “heavily intoxicated” at the time of offending.

“I accept that you are despairing of the years you’ve lost to drugs and crime,” Judge Johns said.

He added “one bright light” when it came to his prospects of rehabilitation was his capacity to hold a job, having worked as an earthmover for several years.

Leveni had prior convictions for aggravated burglary and burglary, but had no history of sexual offending.

The court heard Leveni was on bail at the time of his crime spree for stealing a motor vehicle and handling stolen goods.

He must serve at least five years and three months in jail, before becoming eligible for parole.