‘It was horrible’: elderly woman describes alleged rape
Miklos Bolza |
A 76-year-old aged-care resident seen half-naked after being allegedly raped by a man who broke into her room told her son she thought she was going to die.
Hayden Carl Skinner, a 31-year-old drug user living in the NSW north coast town of Coffs Harbour, has been accused of sexually assaulting the elderly woman on New Year’s Day.
In the early hours of January 1, 2024, he scaled a fence at the aged care facility, crossed a courtyard and slid open the unlocked door to his alleged victim’s room.
Transferred to Coffs Harbour hospital after the incident, the elderly woman described her attacker as dark-skinned, clean-smelling, big and strong.
“It was horrible. I thought he was going to kill me,” said notes by the son which were read at a District Court trial in Coffs Harbour on Monday.
His partner told the court her mother-in-law had been enjoying watching the storm outside for New Year’s and had forgotten to lock her door when she returned to her room.
Hours later, a registered nurse found the distressed 76-year-old half-naked, screaming and trying to get into another resident’s room in the facility’s corridor.
The aged care resident – who cannot be legally identified – told the nurse her assailant had been wearing a stocking over his head and a hoodie, the judge-alone trial was told.
He positioned her on the bed, took off her clothes and covered her mouth while swatting her hand away from her buzzer.
“She said that ‘I forgot to lock the door, it’s my fault, I’m very sorry, it is my fault’ and she kept crying,” the nurse told the court.
Skinner has admitted breaking into the 76-year-old’s room but has pleaded not guilty to one count of aggravated sexual assault.
Public defender Peter Pearsall said his client had no intention of sexually assaulting anyone but rather was motivated for financial reasons.
“He was a drug user, he had a drug debt and he was under pressure to satisfy that debt,” he told Judge Michael McHugh.
He said when Skinner entered the room, the 76-year-old woke and grabbed him.
There was a struggle without sexual contact before Skinner escaped, he argued.
Police body-worn footage taken hours before the alleged rape was played to the court showing Skinner affected by drugs or alcohol speaking with two officers who had seen him stumbling near the road.
He claimed to have had low blood sugar but admitted going earlier to a known drug spot in Coffs Harbour.
Officers found a sealable bag suspected to contain marijuana plus a dirty needle in his pockets.
Hours later, the 31-year-old allegedly raped the victim, who was in the centre because of poor physical health rather than for mental health conditions.
He is accused of removing her pants, underwear and incontinence pad before sexually assaulting her.
He then fled the scene.
Skinner’s DNA was found on the woman’s pants which police located on the floor near her bed, crown prosecutor Brendan Campbell SC told the court.
When examined at the Coffs Harbour base hospital, the 76-year-old was seen with bruising to her inner thighs and an abrasion to her genital area.
This was consistent with her legs having been forced apart, Mr Campbell said.
Skinner was arrested on January 4, 2024 and has been on remand since.
He is behind bars at Clarence prison near Grafton in the state’s Northern Rivers region.
The 31-year-old watched the trial wearing a white untucked shirt and silver tie.
His alleged victim had since passed away because of causes unrelated to the alleged sexual assault, Judge McHugh heard.
The trial continues on Tuesday.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
AAP
