Vanuatu national to be deported after serving jail term for assault on Tasmanian massage therapist

A Vanuatu national working in Tasmania has learned his fate after pleading guilty to attempted rape and burglary of a massage therapist as his horrific attack was relayed in court.

Burnie Supreme and Magisterial Court

A SEASONAL worker from Vanuatu will be deported after he serves a jail term in Tasmania for attempting to rape a massage therapist in her home.

Inoce Sakita pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court in Burnie to one count of attempted rape, two counts of common assault, one count of aggravated burglary and one count of stealing.

The Vanuatu national was working in Tasmania under the Department of Foreign Affairs seasonal workers’ program.

The woman he attacked operated a massage therapist business in Devonport.

On April 25, she was awoken by loud knocking at her front door.

She checked a security camera and observed a young male she believed was a previous client so she opened the door.

Sakita went directly to one of the rooms used for massages.

He then removed all his clothes and approached the complainant. He pushed her towards the bed and kissed her.

She struggled and tried to free herself before Sakita placed his hand around her neck and squeezed. The complainant struggled to breathe, the court heard.

File photo.

As he touched her inappropriately, the woman yelled out to her boyfriend who was asleep in the next room and managed to make her way into the hallway.

The man grabbed her by the hair and attempted to push her against the wall.

She managed to free herself and run from the residence.

At first, Sakita chased the woman but then returned to the residence intent on stealing money or property. He stole an EFTPOS machine valued at $500.

When police arrived they found the defendant holding the EFTPOS machine and he was arrested.

During the subsequent police interview he admitted being intoxicated and said he intended to have sex with the complainant without her consent.

“It is accepted by the State that on a previous occasion, the defendant had attended the business premises and paid to have sexual intercourse with a female. This was not this complainant however,” Justice Tamara Jago said.

“The defendant agreed that on this occasion he had no money and did not have any indication from the complainant that she was consenting to sexual intercourse.”

Sakita, 28, has no prior convictions in Australia.

“Because of this crime, he will be deported following his release from custody. He will return to live with his parents in Vanuatu, where I am told he will face significant consequences for his behaviour from both his family and his community,” Justice Jago said.

Sakita was sentenced to two years’ and nine months imprisonment, backdated to July 4 to take into account time already served in custody.

He will not be eligible for parole until he has served one half of that sentence.