A man who raped two women as they slept in swags and horse floats at South Australian equestrian events has been sentenced to 11 years in jail, but could be eligible for parole in just over half that time.
Key points:
- Joshua James David Slape raped two women, in 2017 and 2018
- He attacked one of his victims as her child slept just metres away
- His 11-year sentence is backdated to start in November 2020 and has a non-parole period of seven years
Joshua James David Slape, 24, from Glenburnie near Mount Gambier, was found guilty in the District Court of rape, attempted rape and indecent assault over the incidents in 2017 and 2018.
The horse breeder and farmhand raped and indecently assaulted one of his victims as her child slept just metres away in a horse float following a riding event in the state’s south-east.
Slape had claimed that the mother had initiated the incident and then made up a false story against him.
Six months later, he raped another young woman as she slept in her swag next to friends after a rodeo in the south-east.
During sentencing, Judge Gordon Barrett said Slape was aged 19 at the time of his offending and had no prior convictions.
He sentenced Slape to 11 years in jail, backdated to November 2020 when he was taken into custody, with a non-parole period of seven years.
The court previously heard Slape’s crimes had turned his victims’ worlds upside down, destroyed their trust in men and left them with lasting trauma.
“He sexually offended against them when they were in situations of vulnerability, in that they’d both been consuming alcohol in the hours before the attack, and they’d both gone to sleep in their swags in locations that were somewhat isolated from other people.
“The defendant has not accepted the verdict and therefore he’s displayed no contrition or remorse.”
