Amanda Rose Edwards sentenced for Redbank Plains shops sex assault

A woman was sexually assaulted by a drug-addled stranger in her own car while out to do her shopping, a court has heard.

A woman was sexually assaulted by a drug-addled stranger in her own car while out to do her shopping, a court has heard.

The details of an Ipswich woman’s “degrading” and drug-addled car park sex assault have been revealed in court.

Redbank resident Amanda Rose Edwards, 33, pleaded guilty to 27 offences in Ipswich Magistrate’s’ Court on March 14, 2022, including sexual assault and unlawful entry of a motor vehicle in order to commit an indictable offence.

The court heard Edwards was at the Town Square Redbank Plains undercover car park about 7.30pm on October 13 last year when she approached the victim’s car.

The victim was inside with other occupants when Edwards looked through the open car window asking for a cigarette.

Magistrate Robert Walker said Edwards made comments “of a sexually suggestive nature” and then made sexual propositions to the occupants of the car.

Edwards then made more direct propositions to the victim, and reached into the car to stroke her face.

She then stroked the woman’s thigh, and then touched her vagina over her clothes.

Mr Walker said the victim and the witnesses were too scared to do anything, but called police soon after.

Edwards was quickly arrested, but could not be interviewed because she was “obviously drug affected”.

The court heard Edwards struggled with drug addiction and had been hospitalised several times in recent years in a drug-induced psychosis.

A psychologist report suggested she may also suffer from underlying mental health issues, potentially including schizophrenia.

Edwards’s further offending predominantly consisted of failures to appear in court, failures to report while on probation, and minor drug offending.

She also pleaded guilty to stealing a $7 bottle of cider from Liquorland Redbank Plains.

The court heard Edwards had a relevant history of drug offending and had been on probation and on a suspended sentence at the time of the sexual assault.

Mr Walker told her that her “invasion of privacy” and “degrading” behaviour undoubtedly had an ongoing impact on her victim

“That sort of behaviour in a public place or in any circumstance is unacceptable,” he said.

Edwards was sentenced to six months imprisonment, with immediate parole and 162 days of presentence custody declared time-served.

She also received cumulative sentences totalling an additional three months imprisonment (with immediate parole) for breaching her suspended sentence and breaching her probation order

Originally published as Amanda Rose Edwards sentenced for Redbank Plains shops sex assault