A woman raped at Belmont by a man she met on a dating app has told a court she would not wish the impacts of the attack on her worst enemy.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The woman, who cannot be named, told the sentencing hearing of Justin Kane Millington in Sydney District Court on Tuesday afternoon that she experienced ongoing flashbacks, and that the rape "ruined" her life physically, financially and emotionally.
Millington was formally convicted of 10 charges related to the sexual abuse of two women he met on Tinder in 2020 and 2021.
He raped and assaulted his first victim in bushland near the Fernleigh Track a year before he sexually touched his second victim multiple times without consent in her home.
In a victim impact statement she read to the court on Tuesday, the first woman said the rape prompted a suicide attempt three weeks after the attack - stopped only by a random text message from a close friend.
She said she was "terrified" to be alone around men and constantly shook from ongoing anxiety.
"Even two and a half years later, I'm still just as afraid of men, afraid to be alone at night, and still experience the constant flashbacks and intrusive memories," she said.
READ MORE:
"I miss feeling safe when I'm out in public. I miss being able to sleep without reliving the rape in my nightmares. I miss being able to go about my day without seeing the face of my rapist in the men around me, any time I try to go out and return to a normal life.
"I used to love going out in the evening but now I fear the dark."
The court heard earlier from psychiatrist Dr Chris Bench, who had diagnosed Millington with post traumatic stress disorder based on his childhood and borderline personality disorder following a 90 minute assessment after Millington had been taken into custody.
Crown prosecutor Kristy Mulley questioned Dr Bench on his diagnosis, and asked whether inconsistencies and omissions on Millington's behalf during the assessment raised the possibility that he did not have borderline personality disorder.
"Yes," Dr Bench replied.
Millington's defence barrister Bill Hussey said his client told him he had been attacked three times in custody - the second occasion in early March leaving him with a head injury.
Mr Hussey asked for the sentencing hearing to be left part-heard so he could seek medical records and decide whether Millington should see a neurologist and have an MRI to determine whether he had suffered brain damage.
"To be frank, I'm detecting a difference in him than when he went into custody," Mr Hussey said.
The matter was adjourned to July 7.
- Support is available for those who may be distressed. Phone Lifeline 13 11 14; 1800-RESPECT 1800 737 732.
