Rape, bashing victim 'wouldn't be alive' without aid of neighbours

Attempting to escape her perpetrator, the victim was twice dragged by the neck into a home where she would be sexually assaulted "as a means of violence".

On Wednesday, the ACT Supreme Court heard details of the reprehensible crimes and how the man who carried committed had expressed no insight into his actions.

"He does seem to have a very fundamental issue with respecting women," prosecutor Soraya Saikal-Skea said about the attacker.

The court also heard multiple women had taken out family violence orders against the man, who is not named to protect the victim's identity.

The prospects of rehabilitating his attitude towards women, Ms Saikal-Skea said, "are pretty much as low as they could be".

The offender has previously pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual intercourse without consent, aggravated choking and aggravated assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

But when put in the witness box and asked if he wholly understood he had admitted to sexually assaulting his partner, he responded: "I understand that. But we were in a consensual relationship."

Asked if he had a problem in his relationship with women, the man would only concede to having "a bit of anger here and there".

The victim told the court the "vicious attack" had been "traumatising" and "horrible".

"I'm highly scared of him and what he may be capable of next if he were to be released into the community," the woman said in her statement.

Agreed facts about the case, some of which were met in court by the offender shaking his head, detail the unprovoked attack.

The pair had been drinking together at home one September 2022 afternoon when the man became furious over not being invited to a party organised by the victim's family.

In his rage, the offender threatened to hurt the victim's brother. She responded with words to the effect of: "If you're going to bash someone, bash me."

The man grabbed the victim by the neck and dragged her into their unit, which she managed to escape and run towards another home seeking help.

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However, the offender chased her down, threw a cup of wine and mixer in her face and again dragged her back into the unit by the neck.

Pushed against a brick wall inside the home, the woman was punched several times in the face as she yelled out for the man to stop.

The offender then raped the victim, telling her to "shut up" as she cried.

Soon after, the assault was interrupted by a knock and a neighbour yelling out: "Open the door, I know what's going on."

Two neighbours entered the home and told the man they were taking the victim back to their home.

"Yeah, cool," the offender responded.

The woman was taken to hospital and treated for numerous injuries. She returned days later reporting blackouts, as well as head and neck soreness from the assault.

Defence barrister James Sabharwal said his client was experiencing being in custody for the first time but had made the most of his time behind bars.

The court heard the offender had completed numerous courses while in prison in an attempt to show he was capable of rehabilitating himself.

"There's nothing positive that can be said about his attitude," the prosecutor told the court.

"He's fairly blasé."

The offender has already spent nearly a year-and-a-half behind bars for his crimes.

He is set to learn his fate next week.