Man gets three years’ jail for giving drugs to, raping 13-year-old relative in ‘predatory’ attack

A Darwin man will spend three years behind bars for supplying drugs to and raping his 13-year-old family member in a display of ‘criminal, predatory and callous behaviour’.

A Darwin man will spend three years behind bars for supplying drugs to and raping his 13-year-old family member

A DARWIN man will spend three years behind bars for supplying drugs to and raping his 13-year-old family member in a display of “criminal, predatory and callous behaviour.”

The man, who cannot be named in case it identifies the victim, pleaded guilty in the Darwin Supreme Court to supplying less than a commercial quantity of cannabis to a child and to having sexual intercourse with a child without consent last month.

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The court heard the man went to the home of the 13-year-old girl in December 2019 to look after her and her brother.

He gave some cannabis to the victim to smoke and when she became intoxicated he lay down next to her and began speaking to her “in a sexual manner” and touching his penis.

Despite the victim telling him to stop and not touch her, the court heard the man put his hand down her pants and put his finger in her vagina and then put his hand under her shirt and began feeling her breasts.

The victim then ran to the bathroom crying and locked herself inside before the man began knocking on the door and telling her to “hurry up before everyone gets back”.

When the victim eventually left the bathroom, the court heard the man followed her as she ran from the house, saying he was sorry and that he would kill himself.

He then broke a bottle and used it to cut himself while the victim yelled at him to stop.

The man was arrested the following day and refused to participate in a police interview.

In sentencing, Chief Justice Michael Grant said the offending had had a “dreadful impact” on the child and her immediate family.

“She still suffers from nightmares and post-traumatic stress as a result of the incident,” he said.

“Other members of the extended family have called her a liar. She feels constantly unsafe unless she is with her parents.

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“These are all the consequences of what you did; the consequences of your criminal and predatory and selfish and callous behaviour on that day.”

The man was sentenced to five year’ jail, suspended after serving three years.