AN ARMIDALE man has been jailed for 11 years for sexually assaulting and kidnapping his wife in a series of attacks, spanning several years.
This week, Fairfax Media can reveal the man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons in order to protect the identity of his victims, will remain behind bars until at least 2022 after he was jailed in a Sydney court.
The man was facing a maximum of 20 years behind bars after he was found guilty by a jury in December 2016 after a lengthy trial of a string of charges including aggravated sexual assault.
Judge Paul Lakatos convicted the man of 19 offences including taking or detaining for advantage, sexual intercourse without consent, using an offensive weapon with intent, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and indecent assault.
The man used a knife to attack the woman in one instance, she was detained in the house in another, locked in sheds, sexually and indecently assaulted as well as repeatedly beaten.
She managed to escape from a bedroom window before running onto the Waterfall Way, outside of Armidale, and flagged down a passing truck driver in June 2014.
She was taken to hospital for her injuries and police alerted before Armidale detectives took charge of the case because of the pro-longed and serious attacks.
The pair had been together for 20 years.
The man was also convicted of assaulting the couple’s young daughter, who the court heard had witnessed the violence including at least one of the sexual assaults.
A victim impact statement from the woman was delivered in the court detailing the long-lasting injuries and effects including a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder.
In the sentence handed down in Darlinghurst District Court in Sydney, Judge Lakatos imposed a total head sentence of 11 years to date from the time of his arrest on June 17, 2014, with a minimum non-parole period of seven years and nine months.
The man, who has been refused bail on several occasions, will be first eligible for parole in March 2022.
Breanna Chillingworth
Northern Daily Leader Senior Crime and Court Reporter
Northern Daily Leader Senior Crime and Court Reporter
