Chris Wayne White sentenced in Cairns District Court for violent burglary and assault

A man made date with a woman who advertised sexual massages, only to attack her and threaten her with a knife, Cairns District Court heard on Friday.

A man invaded a woman’s home and held a knife close to her woman’s face as he tried to pull her dress down, Cairns District Court heard on Friday.

Chris Wayne White, 25, pleaded guilty to burglary in the night with violence while armed, and assault.

The court heard he had criminal convictions in three states and was sleeping in a tent on the Esplanade in Cairns when the incident took place.

Addressing White, who appeared via video link from Lotus Glen Correctional Centre, Judge Dean Morzone KC noted there had been text communication between White and the victim, as she advertised sexual massages and he made arrangements with her.

“You entered the complainant’s unit, threatened her with a 15cm bladed knife over your head, put your hand over her mouth and told her ‘don’t scream’,” Judge Morzone said.

The incident occurred in the early hours of the morning on July 26, 2022.

“You flipped her on to the bed and stifled her as she attempted to scream, and moved the top part of her clothing as you held a knife 30cm from her face,” Judge Morzone said.

He said it happened in the dead of night and in a situation where the woman was vulnerable but there was a high degree of trust, for the interaction she had advertised for.

Chris Wayne White, 25, pleaded guilty to burglary in the night with violence while armed, and assault, in teh Cairns District Court on Friday. Picture: Brendan Radke

Crown prosecutor Emily Thambyah said the woman thought she was going to die, and “swiped him, causing him to fall off the bed”.

She screamed as he ran out the door, Ms Thambyah said.

Defence barrister Rachelle Logan said White had a disadvantaged childhood in foster care and a boy’s home where he was subjected to frightening experiences, abuse and neglect, and had been on his own since he was quite young.

“He has had inconsistent accommodation and difficulties with drug use but at the time of the offending, that is not a feature,” Ms Logan said.

She said White had worked in Bundaberg and wanted to return there, and that he had sought to complete Year 12 while in custody but had been told there was no funding to do so.

Judge Morzone asked about previous diagnoses of schizophrenia and PTSD.

White told the court he had suffered drug induced psychosis rather than schizophrenia.

Judge Morzone asked how he was progressing with PTSD.

“The PTSD is not dissipating, I live with it every day, there is no magic treatment for it, unfortunately it is what it is,” White said.

Judge Morzone imposed a head sentence of two years and nine months, to be served cumulatively with an activated sentence White was serving, having breached parole.

He did not declare 591 days in pre-sentence custody as time served, since it applied to the earlier sentence, and set a parole eligibility date of April 26, 2024.

Originally published as Chris Wayne White sentenced in Cairns District Court for violent burglary and assault