A woman told the man who violently raped her that she hates him and can never forgive him for what he did.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Robert Glen Sirl, 48, faced sentencing in the ACT Supreme Court on Monday on two charges for which a jury previously found him guilty, rape and causing grievous bodily harm.
The court previously heard the woman and Sirl, whom she knew as Chappo, drank the drug ice in coffee before Sirl claimed tens of thousands in cash had gone missing, and refused to let her leave until it was found.
Sirl pinned the woman down in his bedroom and raped her twice. On one occasion he used a sharp, bladed object consistent with a knife, but the exact object could not be determined.
A medical examination discovered the woman had suffered five incised wounds within her vagina and lost more than 1.5 litres of blood due to her injuries.
Facing Sirl in court on Monday, the woman read a victim impact statement and said while her physical wounds may have healed, she feared she would never recover from the mental trauma she suffered.
She said she had met Sirl at a "very low point" in her life.
"I was very vulnerable and naive about the drug scene," the woman said.
"What Chappo did to me I will never recover from.
"I replay what happened to me over and over and it sickens me."
She said medication she'd been prescribed for her mental health after the rape had given her unforeseen heart complications.
She stopped taking the medication and was left to face the full force of the reality of what she suffered, she said.
The woman said she suffered financial stress due to having to move home after the attack.
She was not the sole victim, she said, as her family had experienced trauma due to Sirl's actions, particularly her son, who feared for his mother's wellbeing.
"I have a small peace of mind Chappo won't be able to harm anyone while he's in jail," she said.
"I can't express the hate I have for you.
"I'll never forgive you Chappo for what you've done."
Sirl pleaded not guilty at trial and maintained he and the woman had engaged in consensual sex.
His defence barrister, Katrina Musgrove, said Sirl had a life impacted by family violence and drug use from an early age.
The first entry on Sirl's criminal history was as a 10-year-old, she said, and he had used cannabis and methamphetamine from age eight and 14 respectively.
She said Sirl had demonstrated periods of abstaining from alcohol and drugs in his life, noting 13 years of abstaining from alcohol and Sirl's claim he had not used drugs while in jail.
This pointed to Sirl's prospects for rehabilitation, she said.
She also argued that compared to other instances of sexual violence, this case was at the mid-range of severity as it lacked elements such as humiliation or degradation of the victim.
Sirl has also been found guilty of maintaining a sexual relationship with a minor and will face a sentencing hearing for that offence later on Monday.
Sirl's sentence will be handed down later in the week.