A man who sexually assaulted a 76-year-old woman in a NSW aged-care home has been sentenced to 12 years in jail.
WARNING: This story contains details of sexual assault that readers may find distressing.
During a judge-alone district court trial last December, Hayden Carl Skinner was found guilty of aggravated sexual assault with intent.
Skinner was arrested and charged on January 4, 2024 — three days after he attacked the woman in a Coffs Harbour aged-care home in the early hours of New Year’s Day.
The woman has since died of unrelated causes and cannot be named for legal reasons.
In handing down his sentence, Judge Michael McHugh described the attack as “a serious example of aggravated sexual assault”.
“Particularly in the age differential and his persistence in trying to penetrate this old lady, in what would have been very distressing, and she would have been very fearful,” he said.
The clothing worn by Hayden Carl Skinner during his arrest days after the assault was similar to what he was wearing when seen on CCTV on the night. (Supplied: NSW Police)
The judge referred to the crown’s evidence, as the woman’s death has meant there was no victim impact statement to consider.
“For the first three days after the offence, she referred to her emotional state, was crying ‘buckets’,”
he said.
“This did have a profound impact on her, which is what you would expect given the nature of offending.”
Assistant defence counsel Jessica Meech told the court the sexual assault charge was an “uncharacteristic aberration” in her client’s lengthy criminal history.
She referred to a psychologist’s report that assessed him at a low-to-moderate risk of sex reoffending.
Ms Meech listed Skinner’s drug addiction, homelessness, mental health conditions and trauma in childhood as factors behind his offending.
Crown prosecutor Brendan Campbell also acknowledged Skinner’s “disadvantaged background, intellectual and other issues”.
“But the reality is the offender committed a very grave crime, and the sentence should reflect that,”
he said.
When considering prospects of rehabilitation, the judge said Skinner was sexually assaulted as a child, which resulted in a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis.
But he also referred to a sustained lack of remorse.
“A lack of insight does not prevent rehabilitation, but must be guarded,” Justice McHugh said.
“As he has shown no insight, his prospects of rehabilitation must always be diminished, particularly regarding recidivism.
“I can take these factors into account but cannot do so in a way that has a disproportionate impact on the sentence.”
Police arrested Hayden Carl Skinner in Coffs Harbour on January 4, 2024. (Supplied: NSW Police)
The judge said Skinner’s admission to breaking into the aged-care home had saved the court and witnesses valuable time, which was considered in the sentence.
Skinner was sentenced to 12 years prison with a non-parole period of eight years.
He will be eligible to apply for parole on February 11, 2032.
The case was heard in the District Court in Coffs Harbour. (ABC Coffs Coast: Claire Simmonds)
