A Victorian soldier who barged into a female colleague's bedroom at an army barracks and raped her while she was sleeping has been jailed for five years.
Jermaine Schmidt was attending weapons training at the Puckapunyal Australian Army base, near Seymour in central Victoria.
His victim, who was attending the same training, went to a bar at the base known as "The Boozer", where Schmidt was also enjoying a few drinks with colleagues. After a while she went back to her bedroom because she was feeling tired.
She was awoken by two soldiers knocking on her door, including Schmidt, who asked her for a cigarette.
She said no and went back to sleep, but was woken up again after a drunken Schmidt let himself into her room and begged to stay with her.
The woman refused but he persisted so she eventually let him sleep above the covers of her bed.
Schmidt then sexually assaulted the woman in her bed and raped her while she was sleeping.
She waited for him to fall asleep and then ran to the bathroom, hoping he would leave her bedroom.
But he was still in her bed when she returned and acted as if nothing had happened, asking how to get out of her accommodation block without being seen.
A few hours later he sent her several apologetic text messages, saying he was "drunk" and "super sorry" for what had happened.
Schmidt was suspended from the army after the allegations surfaced.
He pleaded not guilty and the case went to trial, where he was found guilty of sexual assault and rape by a jury.
The County Court sentenced Schmidt, 23, to five years in prison on Thursday, including 92 days already served.
His victim has been mentally and financially impacted by the crimes and she did not pursue her career in the army because of it.
"It is the court's experience that victims of rape almost always suffer impacts of this kind and such impacts can be long lasting," Judge Paul Lacava said.
"All sexual offending of this kind is serious, this case is no different."
Schmidt must serve at least three years before he is eligible for parole.
