NT man Lee Peterson sentenced for indecent assault

A man who indecently assaulted a wheelchair-bound woman has been released back into the community after his jail sentence was suspended. Read what the court heard.

Lee Peterson was arrested and charged for two separate incidents which occurred more than two years ago. Picture: Gera Kazakov Generic.

A man who indecently assaulted a wheelchair-bound woman has been released back into the community after his jail sentence was suspended.

At the NT Supreme Court on Monday, Lee Peterson was sentenced after pleading guilty to unlawfully entering a dwelling and damaging property in March 2023.

Peterson also pleaded guilty to performing an act of gross indecency against a separate victim the following month.

It was heard Peterson, who was 20-years-old at the time, climbed through the bedroom window of an Alice Springs home.

The resident, an elderly woman, woke up to a “very bad smell” and saw Peterson standing at the end of her bed.

After being told to “get the f—k out”, Peterson jumped back through the window and fled.

However, Peterson’s chaotic entrance left a key clue which would lead to his eventual arrest.

During his hasty exit, Peterson shattered the window and cut himself.

Blood found on the shattered glass was collected by police, who stored the swab for future reference.

Both crimes were committed a month apart in Alice Springs.

About a month later, a wheelchair-bound woman was travelling down a Northside laneway when Peterson followed her.

The woman, physically and mentally impaired, was groped by Peterson, who pulled off her bra and underwear.

He then exposed his penis and made contact with the victim’s genitalia.

When the victim tried to resist, Peterson fled the area, leaving her in the laneway.

The distressed victim was found by a local resident, who alerted authorities.

The investigation was aided by CCTV footage which captured the assault.

Further, a forensic examination of the smears left on the victim matched the blood swab taken a month earlier.

Peterson was arrested two days later on April 24, 2023.

In court, it was heard Peterson had “no prior convictions” and had been diagnosed with schizophrenia while in custody.

Justice Judith Kelly (pictured) sentenced Peterson to four years imprisonment backdated to when he was arrested. Picture Julianne Osborne

Justice Judith Kelly said the indecent assault was particularly “serious”.

“This young woman was very vulnerable, very helpless,” she said.

“She could not resist you and she could not even call out for help.”

Justice Kelly acknowledged Peterson was “not as much to blame” for his offences as “somebody would be if they did those things and did not have your illness”.

Peterson was handed a total effective term of imprisonment of four years, backdated to when he was taken into custody.

However, Justice Kelly said she would immediately suspend the sentence with conditions.

“Mr Peterson, that means that you get released today, but for the next two years you must not commit any other offence punishable by imprisonment,” she said.

“If you do, you can be brought back here and you may well have to serve the rest of that sentence, like another two years in prison on top of any other sentence you get.”

Peterson will be under the supervision of a probation and parole office and is to cooperate with all treatment recommended by his doctors.

Originally published as NT man Lee Peterson sentenced for indecent assault