A young man has been jailed for six years for raping and assaulting a 14-year-old girl he waited for inside a Bridgewater home.
Brody William Triffett, 20, was found guilty by a jury of two counts of aggravated assault, one count of rape and one count of attempting to commit rape.
The Supreme Court heard the attack happened on April 16, 2024, when Triffett was 18.
Justice Kate Cuthbertson said the girl had briefly dated Triffett after being told he was 16 and ended it when she learned he was an adult.
The judge said the girl was cleaning a house alone when Triffett, who had been hiding inside, attacked her.
She fought him off and tried to flee before he assaulted and raped her, Cuthbertson said.
Cuthbertson said aspects of the attack were “likely to seriously and substantially degrade or humiliate” the girl and that it was “a terrible invasion of her right to control her own body”.
The court heard the girl relapsed into drug use, stopped going to school and became suicidal after the attack.
Cuthbertson said she had shown “remarkable resilience and courage”.
“The judges of this court hear all too often the dreadful impact such terrible conduct has on those who are unfortunate enough to experience it,” she said.
Cuthbertson said Triffett had a history of violence against women, including a previous rape conviction and assaults on former partners.
A psychiatric report found he posed an ongoing risk of sexually violent behaviour, most likely when a relationship ended, the court heard.
Triffett’s sentence was backdated to October 18, 2024.
He must serve three and a half years before he can apply for parole and will be on the sex offender register for 10 years after his release.
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