An axe-wielding burglar who raped a woman in her home while her terrified young daughter was hiding in the bathroom has been jailed nine years and 10 months.
County Court judge Meryl Sexton said on Thursday that the crimes committed by Hung Nguyen, 35, of Kensington, had been “protracted, serious and frightening”.
Judge Sexton said Nguyen had raped the woman to demonstrate his power over her, not for sexual gratification.
Nguyen had randomly decided to follow the woman and her daughter home after they had been to a Chinese New Year festival in February 2014.
He entered the St Albans house about 11pm intending to steal money to feed his heroin and ice addiction.
The woman’s daughter, a primary school student, had gone to the bathroom when Nguyen suddenly confronted the woman in the kitchen when holding the axe and wearing a hoodie tied up tightly around his face, dark glasses and blue latex gloves.
Judge Sexton said the woman was so shocked to see Nguyen in her home that she screamed in fright.
The woman’s daughter looked out from the bathroom to see Nguyen, who she would later describe to police as “the robber”, threatening her mother. She went back into the bathroom to hide.
Nguyen demanded money from the woman, pushed her to the floor and tied her hands behind her back. He told the woman not to move and hit her across the ear with the axe.
Nguyen took $100 from the woman’s purse but told her that it was not enough and continued to threaten her before her daughter plucked up the courage to call out that she had money.
The little girl handed over her two money boxes to Nguyen and he ordered her back into the bathroom.
Nguyen then slapped the woman in the face, raped her and stole her mobile phone and watch. He told her that if she called the police he would come back to get her.
Judge Sexton said the woman’s daughter had been a brave little girl during such a terrifying ordeal and it was hoped she would eventually get over what happened.
The judge noted Nguyen’s crimes had had a significant, lasting impact on the girl’s traumatised mother and she did not want her family and friends to know what he had done.
Nguyen, who pleaded guilty to a number of charges including two counts of rape, aggravated burglary and robbery, was jailed for nine years and 10 months with a non-parole period of seven years and 10 months. He was placed on the serious sex offenders register for 15 years.
Judge Sexton said Nguyen claimed to have been shocked at his offending because he had a pact with his brother never to be violent towards women since his mother had been the victim of domestic violence from his father.
The judge said Nguyen’s father had encouraged him to take part in the family’s drug trafficking business and he was addicted to smoking heroin from the age of 15.
Nguyen had more than 50 previous convictions for drugs and weapons offences between 1999-2012 but had never committed any sexual offences before the St Albans attack.
This story first appeared in The Age
