Street abductor, rapist pleaded for God’s forgiveness, court hears

A man who abducted a woman off the streets and violently raped her while his friend held her down later prayed for forgiveness from his prison cell, a court has heard.

A MAN who abducted a woman off the streets of Palmerston and violently raped her while his friend held her down later prayed for forgiveness from his prison cell, a court has heard.

Brent Tasman, 21, pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court to rape, deprivation of liberty and aiding and abetting the other man to also rape the terrified woman in October 2019.

The court heard the highly intoxicated woman had fallen asleep on the ground near the water tower in the Palmerston CBD when the two men drove to the city and “began cruising the area”.

In the early hours of October 13, they spotted her sitting alone on the ground and drove up to her, got out and picked her up, carried her to the car and forced her inside.

The woman screamed and yelled for help while struggling against her attackers who “forcibly restrained” her in the car while they drove to an “isolated bush area” where they “dragged her from the car and forced her to the ground”.

The court heard the two men each then raped the woman while the other held her down as she continued “screaming out for help”.

After the “horrendous and despicable” ordeal was over, the woman — “fearing that she would be killed or further assaulted” — fled into the bush and hid until they drove away.

She then approached a nearby resident who called police and she was taken to Royal Darwin Hospital where she was treated for bruising and abrasions.

In sentencing Tasman to eight years and nine months in jail, Justice Stephen Southwood said the “sustained attack” was “highly predatory and very callous offending”.

“While the offending was opportunistic, it involved some planning and forethought,” he said.

“The offenders quickly devised a plan to abduct the victim from a public place and take her to a secluded location for the purpose of engaging in sexual intercourse with her without her consent.”

Justice Southwood said Tasman had later been overheard pleading for God’s forgiveness for what His Honour described as “degrading and humiliating conduct”.

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“I’m really sorry for that and I feel for that girl for getting her and I got that girl,” Tasman said.

“God I’m really sorry. I’m asking you to forgive me so I can talk straight to the police. Give me the power, Jesus.”

Justice Southwood said the sentence should “reinforce the need to protect the most vulnerable in our community”.

“Women in our community are entitled to be safe from such horrendous and despicable crimes and this court must do what it can to protect them,” he said.

Tasman will be eligible for parole after serving six years and two months.

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