By Catherine Naylor
Police have charged a man with aggravated sexual assault after he allegedly broke into an aged care facility on the NSW Central Coast and assaulted a 90-year-old woman in the middle of the night, leaving her with serious injuries.
Staff at the Bateau Bay facility called police just after midnight on November 15 after finding the injured woman, who was taken to hospital with injuries to her legs, arms and head.
Police say Brett Anthony Crawford, from The Entrance, broke into the facility and made his way to the woman’s room. The 34-year-old then allegedly used bedding to suppress the woman’s cries for help and pinned her arms to the bed during the assault, causing her skin to tear, before stealing some of her belongings.
“The woman had extensive injuries to her arms, which were bleeding, but she managed to alert residential care staff,” Detective Superintendent Jayne Doherty said.
“She is recovering from very severe wounds to her arms … Being elderly, her skin has torn quite significantly where pressure was applied.”
Doherty said detectives had worked tirelessly since the incident and arrested Crawford at a house in Caves Beach on Monday night after searching for him for several days.
She alleged Crawford ran out the back door of the house and jumped a fence in an attempt to flee when police arrived.
He was taken to hospital for minor injuries to his arm and upon his release was charged with aggravated break and enter, inflict actual bodily harm with intent to have sexual intercourse, and aggravated sexual assault.
Crawford did not apply for bail when he appeared in Belmont Local Court on Tuesday and it was formally refused. He was remanded in custody to appear before Gosford Local Court for a committal hearing on February 2.
Police say Brett Anthony Crawford broke into the facility and made his way to the woman’s room.Credit: NSW Police
Doherty said the victim was traumatised by what had happened and was now in the care of her family and medical services.
“We understand the community will be in uproar over this type of offence ... it’s horrendous that any person in the safety of their home would be attacked like this, but to attack a very defenceless old lady is beyond belief.
“Our heart goes out to the woman and her family, and to all the other residents of the aged care home.”
She said there did not appear to be any link between Crawford, the woman, or the aged care facility before the alleged attack.
Doherty said the aged care home had security in place at the time of the assault, but had since hired extra security staff and carried out an audit to determine where security could be improved.
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