A Braddon man who was drunk and on drugs when he raped a teenage girl in his apartment was saddened by his crimes, a court has heard.
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Matthew Shaun McGrail, 25, was jailed for a maximum of four years on Friday for sexually assaulted the girl, 15, in his flat in January 2015.
An ACT Supreme Court jury found him guilty of five charges including indecency, sexual intercourse without consent and attempted rape of a person under 16 after a trial in September.
The girl had been staying at McGrail's flat and the pair were left alone when her boyfriend left to get cigarettes in the early hours of January 24.
McGrail arrived home to the flat and the the girl said while they were alone in the apartment, he started tickling her legs and flattering her.
He then forced himself on her using his hands and mouth, kissing her neck and chest, as he restrained her and she repeatedly told him, "No".
In his sentencing remarks, Justice John Burns said he was satisfied McGrail knew the girl was not consenting to sex, but noted she was a child victim who could not consent.
He noted the trauma suffered by the victim, who said the incident had changed her life, and that she had later found it difficult to sleep and concentrate at school.
The court heard the girl's mother observed her daughter's emotional suffering had transformed her from a carefree teenager to someone who found it difficult to trust others.
McGrail told a pre-sentence report author what he did to the young girl now saddened him and he accepted his actions would have traumatised his victim and her family, the court heard.
Justice John Burns accepted McGrail's remorse, but said it had showed "late in the day".
He noted McGrail's criminal history, which did not include convictions for other sex offences, his past learning difficulties and his long history of drug and alcohol use.
The court was told McGrail, who was under the influence of alcohol, cannabis and ice at the time of his offending, had a limited recall of what happened.
Justice Burns said McGrail's medium to high risk of reoffending could be mitigated by drug and alcohol rehabilitation, help to avoid anti-social relationships and and remedies for his lack of employment and accommodation.
He sentenced him to four years in jail, with a non-parole period of two years. McGrail will be eligible for parole in March 2018.
