A former security guard has been jailed for repeatedly raping a girl after picking her up near Newport railway station.
Wajahat Abbas, 44, was sentenced by the County Court to eight and a half years jail with a minimum of six years for the 2015 assault. He has been placed on the sex offenders register for 15 years. It is not known if the Pakistani national will have his visa cancelled on release.
The girl, then aged 15, was in the care of the Department of Human Services and had just been placed with a new foster family.
On the night of the assault, she had missed the last train at Newport and didn’t know how to get home.
The court heard Abbas was conducting a security patrol.
He saw the girl and asked if she wanted a lift home.
After she got in the car, Abbas said he worked for a security company and first had to do some jobs. These were in isolated and deserted industrial areas.
He then drove her around for about an hour, parking on several occasions and raping her three times.
County Court judge Michael Tinney told Abbas he should be ashamed of himself.
“This was not momentary offending,” he said. “You stopped the car and performed an act covered by the charge, then moved to a different location and committed a fresh act.”
The court heard Abbas was married with two children and had travelled to London and other cities in Europe to help others establish restaurants.
He came to Australia in 2013 and was subsequently granted a protection visa.
After he was charged and bailed in 2015, he fled to Nepal and then Malaysia before returning to Australia in December and being taken into custody.
