A violent attack has left a sex worker unemployed, with the woman unable to return to her job at a Canberra brothel after a client bit her and pulled her hair.
The ongoing impact of the incident was detailed in the ACT Supreme Court on Thursday, when assailant James Redmond was sentenced to a suspended eight-month jail term.
Justice Geoffrey Kennett said Redmond, a 41-year-old construction worker who lives in NSW, carried out the attack during a visit to a Canberra brothel in February 2020.
Early in Redmond's booking with the victim, the offender grabbed her by the hair and unsuccessfully attempted to drag her into a shower.
Later, while the pair were having sex, Redmond bit one of the victim's breasts.
"In response, the complainant slapped the offender on the face, put on a dressing gown and ran from the room," Justice Kennett said.
"She encountered another sex worker in the hallway, who asked her if she was alright.
"She said, 'No, I need to get him out of here'.
"The complainant also spoke to the receptionist about what had occurred, saying, while crying, 'He's hurt me'.
"The receptionist told the complainant to wait in an adjoining room while she called the police."
The victim was subsequently taken to Canberra Hospital, where she was found to have a bruised left breast and marks on her scalp as a result of her hair being pulled.
Meanwhile, police attended the brothel and arrested Redmond.
The 41-year-old, who spent the night in custody, was initially accused of raping the victim.
However, charges of sexual intercourse without consent, attempted sexual intercourse without consent, second-degree sexual assault and committing an act of indecency without consent were ultimately discontinued.
In August, following negotiations, Redmond pleaded guilty to the sole remaining charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
As part of the offender's sentencing, the sex worker provided a victim impact statement.
She told the court she had been unable to work since the incident, which had made her "hypervigilant" and unable to tolerate being touched by family and friends.
The sex worker further described not liking her hair being touched, and struggling to shower "because of the sound of water".
"[The assault] has also affected her relationship with her husband and children," Justice Kennett said.
"She is less comfortable being intimate with her husband and is less playful with her children.
"She also refers to ongoing counselling for post-traumatic stress disorder and other 'trauma responses'."
The judge accepted the assault had contributed towards the victim's increased level of vigilance and difficulty in trusting others.
However, he said he could not be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the incident had caused the woman to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder or any other diagnosed psychological condition.
Turning to Redmond, Justice Kennett said the offender had moved to Australia from Ireland at the age of 30.
The judge found Redmond was genuinely remorseful for his crime, which represented "an aberration" of character.
He noted, however, that the 41-year-old had described the injury to the victim's breast as a "love bite", saying this was either an attempt to minimise the offence or an indication Redmond lacked insight into his conduct.
Justice Kennett ultimately found a good behaviour order alone would not adequately deter others from similar offending, deciding to impose one as part of a suspended jail term.
The judge backdated the eight-month sentence by a day to reflect the night Redmond spent in custody, and ordered him to be of good behaviour for the next 12 months.
