THE last victim of a serial sex offender sentenced this week for breaching a Department of Justice supervision order says the system failed to protect her.
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Gary Collingwood, a registered sex offender for life, breached the conditions of a supervision order when he violently raped Karen at knife point in Kangaroo Flat earlier this year.
Collingwood was wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet as part of his order when he committed the crime.
He was sentenced by Judge Maidment in July to 13 years and six months’ imprisonment, with a minimum term of 10 years for the rape, and pleaded guilty in the County Court in November to four charges of breaching the supervision order.
Judge Meryl Sexton yesterday said Collingwood breached the conditions when he raped Karen at knifepoint, threatened to kill her, taped her wrists and ankles, blindfolded her and gagged her.
in 2001, Collingwood was sentenced to 13 years 6 months’ imprisonment for a number of offences in Western Australia, including eight charges of rape and three charges of indecent assault against a woman.
On being granted parole, Collingwood came to Victoria and was subject to a supervision order.
Collingwood breached the order by twice consuming alcohol, leaving his home after a curfew and raping Karen.
He was this week sentenced to four years three months’ imprisonment with three years and 10 months of the sentence to be served cumulatively on the sentence imposed in July. Judge Sexton set a new non-parole period of 13 years and six months.
Karen, who until recently wanted to be known as Sarah but has chosen to use her Christian name to give strength to other victims, believes the punishment does not reflect the concerns held about Collingwood's release into the community.
"People like him shouldn't be released,'' she said.
"What's the point of the supervision order, when they get only one month or two months for breaches which lead them to do the things they do?
"This is why conditions on these orders, to minimise the risk. It means nothing, yet this has destroyed my life and the poor woman in Western Australia.
"I hope he never comes out - I feel physically sick that one day he will get out. He will kill his next victim.''
EARLIER:
A SERIAL sex offender who committed his last violent rape while under a Department of Justice supervision order has been given four months' jail for failing to comply - most of which will be served with his current sentence for his latest crime.
In the County Court Friday afternoon, Judge Meryl Sexton sentenced Gary Collingwood to four years three months’ imprisonment for breaching the order when he violently raped a woman, with a new non-parole period set of 13 years and 6 months.
Collingwood breached the conditions of a supervision order when he violently raped a woman at knife point in Kangaroo Flat earlier this year.
He was sentenced by Judge Maidment in July to 13 years 6 months’ imprisonment, with a minimum term of 10 years, for the rape.
The Bendigo Advertiser revealed in July that Collingwood was wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet as part of his order when he committed the crime.
He pleaded guilty in the County Court in November to four charges of breaching the supervision order.
Crown prosecutor Peter Rose said Collingwood breached the order by committing a relevant offence in Victoria - the charges of rape, false imprisonment and threat to kill last January.
Mr Rose told Judge Sexton Collingwood was a registered sex offender for life with an extensive history of sexual and violent offending that includes multiple convictions for rape.
More to come.
