Indian national jailed for rape
By Daniel Fogarty, AAP August 25, 2010
An Indian national jailed for brutally raping a young university student used his victim to re-impose control over women, a court has heard.
Harjot Hundal Singh dragged the student, a stranger, off a Melbourne street and into a van, tied her hands and told her to stop shouting or he would kill her.
Singh, 27, also punched and squeezed the throat of the 19-year-old woman who was walking home from Springvale railway station in June last year.
He drove the van for a few minutes before stopping and raping the woman, who was a virgin, without using a condom.
Singh was arrested at Melbourne Airport a few days later.
He had a one-way ticket to Dubai with a connecting ticket to India.
Sentencing Singh to 13 years jail on Wednesday, the Victorian County Court's Judge Marilyn Harbison noted that a psychologist's report said Singh was aroused by the attack and used the rape to express his anger at the women who had dominated his life.
She said Singh, who spoke little English, had been unable to find stable employment in Australia to provide for his wife and son.
On the night of the rape, he had gone for a drive because his wife and mother, who was visiting from India, were arguing.
Singh saw the woman, fantasised about her and then raped her to re-impose control, the court heard.
Judge Harbison said she agreed with comments made by prosecutor Ray Gibson that the attack was "every woman's nightmare".
"You abducted your victim, a soft target, on a suburban street. You ignored your victim's pleas," she said.
"In my view your offending makes it plain that unless rehabilitated, you are a danger to the sexual safety of women."
Judge Harbison said that while she gave some weight to Singh's guilty plea, it was late and came after a contested pre-trial hearing in which the victim gave evidence.
Singh, formerly of Springvale, was in Australia on a spouse visa while his wife was taking a cookery course.
Judge Harbison said Singh, who is expected to be deported at the end of his sentence, would be unable to enjoy a life in Australia.
She ordered Singh, who has already been in custody for 425 days, serve nine years in prison before being eligible for parole.
Judge Harbison also ordered Singh be declared a registered sexual offender for 15 years to protect women in case he isn't deported.
By Daniel Fogarty, AAP August 25, 2010
An Indian national jailed for brutally raping a young university student used his victim to re-impose control over women, a court has heard.
Harjot Hundal Singh dragged the student, a stranger, off a Melbourne street and into a van, tied her hands and told her to stop shouting or he would kill her.
Singh, 27, also punched and squeezed the throat of the 19-year-old woman who was walking home from Springvale railway station in June last year.
He drove the van for a few minutes before stopping and raping the woman, who was a virgin, without using a condom.
Singh was arrested at Melbourne Airport a few days later.
He had a one-way ticket to Dubai with a connecting ticket to India.
Sentencing Singh to 13 years jail on Wednesday, the Victorian County Court's Judge Marilyn Harbison noted that a psychologist's report said Singh was aroused by the attack and used the rape to express his anger at the women who had dominated his life.
She said Singh, who spoke little English, had been unable to find stable employment in Australia to provide for his wife and son.
On the night of the rape, he had gone for a drive because his wife and mother, who was visiting from India, were arguing.
Singh saw the woman, fantasised about her and then raped her to re-impose control, the court heard.
Judge Harbison said she agreed with comments made by prosecutor Ray Gibson that the attack was "every woman's nightmare".
"You abducted your victim, a soft target, on a suburban street. You ignored your victim's pleas," she said.
"In my view your offending makes it plain that unless rehabilitated, you are a danger to the sexual safety of women."
Judge Harbison said that while she gave some weight to Singh's guilty plea, it was late and came after a contested pre-trial hearing in which the victim gave evidence.
Singh, formerly of Springvale, was in Australia on a spouse visa while his wife was taking a cookery course.
Judge Harbison said Singh, who is expected to be deported at the end of his sentence, would be unable to enjoy a life in Australia.
She ordered Singh, who has already been in custody for 425 days, serve nine years in prison before being eligible for parole.
Judge Harbison also ordered Singh be declared a registered sexual offender for 15 years to protect women in case he isn't deported.
