Luke James Colless: Sunshine Coast woman recalls moment she saw her rapist on television

“I was always looking for him”: A woman who survived an attack from the “bikeway rapist” describes the moment she spotted him a decade later. GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING

A woman who was raped while walking on the beach at Coolum has spoken out about the moment she spotted her attacker on television.

A woman who survived a daylight attack from a serial rapist has recalled how she spotted her attacker on a true crime television show.

The then 23-year-old was walking along Coolum Beach in her bikinis at 9am on July 29, 2006 when Luke James Colless tackled her to the ground and raped her.

His identity remained unknown for 12 years until she spotted Colless on a true crime TV show in 2018, prompting her to go back to police.

“It wasn’t until I saw him that I definitely put two and two together,” she said.

“I was always looking for him in the crowd and wherever I went, I was looking for him, so just to find out who it was, was closure for me,” she said.

Colless, a father of four known as the “bikeway rapist” was sentenced to 25 years in jail in 2009 for a series of brazen attacks on 11 women in Brisbane and the Gold Coast between 2006-2008.

The woman was attacked near Stumers Creek at Coolum Beach. Picture Lachie Millard

Colless attacked the women, aged between 18 to 52, while they walked or jogged alone in public places, acting on fantasies relating to “consensual rapes”.

His sentence was reduced on appeal to 16 years but then extended again to 19 years after he pleaded guilty to separate charges of maintaining a relationship with a child.

The serial rapist pleaded guilty in Maroochydore District Court on Thursday to the one count of rape that revealed his predatory offending was not isolated to Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

During the sentence the Court heard how Colless tore the woman’s bikini top, tugged her bottoms, and violently grabbing her left breast.

“(The woman) pushed Mr Colless away, tried to fight him off but he held her down,” Crown Prosecutor Christopher Cook said.

Mr Cook said the woman “squirmed” while Colless pulled her bottoms to the side and forcibly inserted multiple fingers into her vagina five times before walking away.

The now 39-year-old described herself as a young woman with the world at her feet before the attack changed the course of her life.

“I didn’t walk on the beach for years and when people walk past me I still turn around to make sure they keep walking, when I hear heavy footsteps my heart skips a beat …,” she said.

“It changed how I live my life, it changed how I view the world, how I viewed people.

Luke James Colless.

“It’s a hyper awareness ever since that I don’t know will ever go away.”

The woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, sat behind Colless on Thursday as Judge Michael Byrne sentenced him to a further two years in jail and pushed his parole eligibility date back nine months to February 1, 2023.

“I couldn’t stop smiling, I was happy to see this person who had impacted my life so much because it was such a quick, frantic attack, so to be able to actually stare daggers at him and see this person who had affected me so much was a win,” she said.

“(Not) delaying the parole period was obviously important to him so we wanted maximum punishment possible and basically that’s what happened here today (Thursday), we have gotten that result.”

The woman said she was extremely lucky to have a wonderful support network and urged other victims to never give up the fight for justice.

“I honestly thought it wouldn’t happen and would never get to this point and so to for it to happen and to know who it was and for justice to be served is a very positive thing,” she said.

“For the victims – never give up and definitely be vocal if you think you need to be – it’s made a difference to this case.”

Originally published as Luke James Colless: Sunshine Coast woman recalls moment she saw her rapist on television