A judge has scolded a serial burglar who broke into an Australian National University dormitory and sexually violated a sleeping student during a drug-fuelled crime spree.
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After sentencing Paul David Kelly to nearly six years in jail, Justice Chrissa Loukas-Karlsson turned to the 39-year-old on Friday afternoon and told him: "What you did to that young woman was appalling."
Court documents show Kelly began a multi-day criminal rampage on September 26 last year, when he trespassed into an ANU residential college and stole the keys to a Kia Sportage before making off with the car.
In the midst of a bender on methamphetamine, he returned before dawn two days later and stole a rugby jersey.
Kelly then made his way to a second residential college and took four laptops from the dining room before busting into the room of a young female student.
The woman woke to find Kelly, wearing the jersey and a ski mask, standing over her and rubbing her breasts.
When she challenged Kelly and asked who he was, he calmly replied: "You don't know me."
Kelly eventually walked into a corner and grabbed the woman's laptop, prompting her to scramble out of bed and wrestle the device off him.
The woman screamed at Kelly, demanding to know what he was doing and telling him to get out of her room.
Before leaving, Kelly told her "I will rape you" and "I'm going to come back and I'm going to get you".
Once Kelly had gone, the woman realised that he had swiped her phone, car keys and wallet.
Kelly proceeded to commit several more offences before he was found with the stolen Kia Sportage by police in Deakin on the afternoon of September 29 last year.
These included attempting to buy chocolates and iced coffee with the woman's stolen credit card, before ultimately using a supermarket gift card from her wallet for the purchase.
He also took off from a service station without paying for petrol while behind the wheel of the stolen car.
Kelly, who has been in custody ever since his arrest, pleaded guilty in May to 22 charges.
These included committing an act of indecency without consent, as well as multiple counts of burglary, theft and fraud.
The woman molested by Kelly told the ACT Supreme Court in August of the profound impact his offending had had on her.
She said her bed felt like a coffin in the aftermath and that while Kelly had taken "many things" from her, he had not stolen her strength, resilience or courage.
"I was your victim for a day ... but I refuse to be your victim forever," she said.
Kelly also wrote a letter to the court and said he felt remorseful, though he claimed he could not remember significant periods of his crime spree.
Justice Loukas-Karlsson on Friday sentenced Kelly to five years and nine months in jail, with a non-parole period of three years and five months.
With time already served on remand, the Curtin man will become eligible for release in February 2023.
After handing down the sentence, Justice Loukas-Karlsson spoke directly to Kelly.
"The offences you have committed are truly very serious," the judge told the offender.
"In particular, what you did to that young woman was appalling.
"This is not the first time you have committed an act of indecency and this is not the first time you have committed burglary.
"Drugs are no excuse. You must know that."
Justice Loukas-Karlsson also impressed upon Kelly how long he still had to serve behind bars, and urged him to "use that time".
"Reflect on what you have done and ensure it doesn't happen again," she said.
