Since the 53-year-old man, who lived in Swan Hill at the time, attacked the woman in her central Victorian home she said she would always double check doors to make sure they were locked.

In her victim impact statement, she said she struggled to sleep and she had to give up her job because the accused knew where she worked.

Through a victim impact statement she said, "I just want him to realise how he has ruined my life".

The man, a dairy farmer who previously helped members of the community with tasks including lawn mowing, has pleaded guilty to one charge of rape.

The court heard the accused attended the victim's home uninvited on January 23, 2021 to mow the lawn and left when she went to work around midday.

The pair had dated historically, more than two decades ago, but the prosecution said they had not been in a relationship at the time of the attack.

On January 24 - the man's birthday - the victim woke up with a headache and heard his voice outside her bedroom window.

He said, "Are you asleep? Are you in bed?"

The man told police he had also asked the victim, "can I come in, I'm horny?".

The victim replied "I've got a headache" and rolled over to go back to sleep.

She heard him mumbling for a few minutes before the man said, "can I have a quickie for my birthday?"

She did not reply.

The man then entered the house without her permission, before entering her bedroom and standing by her bed while touching himself.

The victim said, "you're getting nothing" and rolled away from him to face the wall.

The court heard the attacker then climbed on top of the victim and moved up against her.

He said, "I better get off ya because you'll call it rape".

Despite this comment, he tried to touch her chest over her nighty before he attempted to rape her.

He then committed a digital rape.

Judge Sarah Leighfield said the matter was "aggravated" as the accused had continued sexual actions which went uncharged on a victim who was crying.

Prosecutor Zubin Menon said the victim's lack of consent had been "communicated clearly and unequivocally".

The victim disclosed the events to family members later on the day of the attack.

When the attacker returned to her house later that night to give her money, the same family members prevented him from speaking to her.

Mr Menon said the victim was initially unsure whether to report the crime to police as she was "not sure what happened was rape ... and she feared being judged".

The man was arrested on January 28, 2021, and taken to the Swan Hill police station for an interview in which he made full admissions to his conduct, including rape.

He told police he did not have any cognitive impairment, however the court heard he has been diagnosed with an intellectual disability and has an IQ of 63.

He acknowledged to police that the victim had not consented and that he "knew he shouldn't have done what he did".

The court heard the man had grown up in a household where there was domestic violence, and despite reaching half-way through year 9 his literacy level was at a grade one level.

The man was supported in court by multiple siblings and has been released on bail due to his multiple health issues.

Judge Leighfield said there were not adequate facilities in police custody to care for his conditions, including Charcot arthropathy, whereas there would be in prison.

He is due to be sentenced later in March and will face jail time, Judge Leighfield said.

The court was also presented with a number of positive references which called the man's crime "uncharacteristic".

In sentencing him, the court will consider his lack of prior or subsequent offending including while he has been free in the community since the rape, an early plea of guilty, expressions of remorse and regret, an intellectual disability and what experts labelled a low risk of re-offending.

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