A former central Victorian man who raped a 73-year-old woman in her own bed has been jailed for at least four and a half years for the "cowardly and appalling" crime.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Albert John Hammond, 57, was already serving a three-year community corrections order for the rape of another woman when he attacked the victim while she slept, in 2016.
Hammond took the blankets off the victim and climbed on top of her, pinning one arm down.
The victim screamed but Hammond laughed and said something to the effect of, "You know you want it".
The woman told him to stop but he raped her.
More court news: Far-right mock beheading video played in appeal hearing
In the months leading up to the attack, Hammond had sent the woman text messages expressing his desire for sex, but she told him she was not interested.
The morning after, he asked the victim if he had forced himself upon her, to which she said he had.
When Hammond was interviewed by police, he denied the rape and having sent her sexual text messages.
But he pleaded guilty to rape earlier this year in the County Court in Bendigo.
In her victim impact statement, the victim described how she felt she no longer had a life and was afraid to go out where a lot of other people would be.
"It is clear that this offending has had a profound impact on the complainant, with lasting effects that have pervaded significant aspects of her daily life," Judge David Brookes said.
Judge Brookes agreed with the prosecution that the offence was a serious example of rape, noting the attack was premeditated, the victim was vulnerable, Hammond had not used a condom, and he was already serving a sentence for rape at the time.
More court news: Arrest warrant issued for kidnapping accused
Prior to the two rape offences, Hammond had also been convicted of malicious injury and assault in New South Wales.
He has since received two convictions for sexual assault and one for unlawful assault against his first rape victim.
Judge Brookes determined Hammond had poor prospects of rehabilitation, referring to a psychologist's report that said Hammond struggled to grasp that he had committed another rape, and his other convictions.
He took into account Hammond's guilty plea in his favour, although it did not come early, and noted he was a carer for his fiancee.
Judge Brookes sentenced Hammond to a maximum six years and six months in prison, with a non-parole period of four years and six months.
More court news: Rapist loses bid to appeal conviction
Hammond will also remain a registered sex offender for 15 years.
Judge Brookes said women were not objects for men to do with as they wished, and the law would punish those who treated them as such.
"This was a cowardly and appalling act committed by you," he told Hammond.
"Whilst your counsel submitted that your motivation for this offending remains a mystery, what is not is that you committed this act for your own gratification to some extent.
"It was clear well beforehand that the complainant was not interested in having sexual intercourse with you; she screamed, told you to stop and that she was not interested, but you persisted and committed this heinous offence.
"Moreover, you had been sentenced for an identical charge no more than 10 months prior.
"It is apparent that you have taken very little, if anything, from the experience and were not sufficiently deterred from this deplorable behaviour."
Have you signed up to the Bendigo Advertiser's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in central Victoria.