Malaysian jailed for breaking into house and repeatedly raping woman at knife-point more than 20 years ago.
- Earlier committed battery and voyeurism in Florida
- Claimed he had kinky, consensual sex with the victim
- Allegedly admitted he was once a peeping Tom and fantasised about raping the victim
A former AirAsia pilot has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for breaking into the home of an Australian woman in Perth and repeatedly sexually assaulting her more than 21 years ago, Australian media reported.
In March 1996, Alfred Gerard Eravelly allegedly broke into a 38-year-old woman’s beachside villa through her bathroom window. He tied the victim’s hands behind her back with a rope and blindfolded her. Then he repeatedly raped her at knife-point.
He had tried to conceal his identity by wearing a stocking over his head.
At the time of the offence, the Malaysian was an aviation student living in Scarborough, a coastal suburb of Perth.
After completing his studies he returned to Malaysia to work for AirAsia.
Back in 2000, Eravelly had committed battery and voyeurism offences in Florida, US. During that incident, he had ejaculated on a woman’s hair inside a library at a university campus.
Through an international database, detectives had matched samples of his DNA from the 1996 crime scene with the earlier DNA found in Florida.
Eravelly, 50, was arrested in February last year when he passed through Sydney on a flight from Malaysia on his way to New Zealand with his family, not knowing that there was an arrest warrant against him.
The father of two was extradited to Perth where he was charged with five counts of aggravated sexual penetration without consent, burglary, deprivation of liberty and unlawful wounding.
He was found guilty on all counts during the six-day trial.
Eravelly had denied any wrongdoing. He told police in a video-recorded interview that he knew the woman and they had consensual sex thrice before the alleged incident.
He alleged he had dated the woman and tied her up as part of kinky, consensual sex.
He claimed the woman had made false allegations.
However, the judge said he found Eravelly’s account fabricated and it had been “roundly rejected by the jury”. He concluded that his crimes were premeditated.
“You arrived with a knife, a torch, a stocking to conceal your identity and a rope to bind the victim,” he reportedly said.
He described the attack as “terrifying, harrowing and disturbing” and that he had preyed upon his victim who was alone in her own home.
He said, Eravelly, who was living in Penang with his family, remained in denial about what had happened, which meant he had no remorse or empathy for the victim.
The judge also said he expected that the man’s career would be destroyed after the convictions.
Perth Now news portal reported that Eravelly made a confession only after those interrogating him agreed to turn off their video camera.
He allegedly admitted to police that he was once a peeping Tom and often fantasised about breaking into the home of the woman he watched and raping her.
He also told police, after heavy questioning, that he did not enjoy carrying out his fantasy.
The sentence was backdated to February this year. Eravelly will be eligible for parole in 2028 after serving a minimum of 11 years.