Malaysian pilot convicted of raping Perth woman 20 years ago

PETALING JAYA: A Malaysian pilot has been found guilty of repeatedly raping a woman at knifepoint after breaking into her home in Perth, Australia, over 20 years ago.

According to the news site Perth Now, Alfred Gerard Eravelly, now 50, broke into his victim's Scarborough home in the early hours of March 9, 1996, by cutting the fly screen on her bathroom window.

Wearing a stocking over his head, he tied her up and sexually assaulted her, leaving behind DNA that was later analysed and led to his arrest.

Eravelly was arrested shortly after he flew back to Australia from Malaysia in February last year, landing in Sydney. He was then swiftly extradited to Perth.

He was charged with five counts of aggravated sexual penetration without consent and one count each of burglary, unlawful detention and unlawful wounding.

According to Perth Now, prosecutor Sean Dworcan told the court that Eravelly lived less than 2km away from the woman at the time of the offences, when he was a cash-strapped aviation student.

Eravelly later returned to Malaysia where he became an airline pilot.

Dworcan said Eravelly told detectives following his initial interview that he wanted to tell them what happened, but not on videotape.

He claimed to have dated the woman and tied her up as part of kinky, consensual sex, said Dworcan.

Eravelly also claimed he had been a peeping Tom and watched her through a window.

He then revealed to police he had a fantasy about breaking into a home and raping a woman, and did not enjoy acting out the fantasy.

Defence lawyer Tom Percy said Eravelly, a father of two, had met the victim at a bar and had a brief consensual sexual relationship with her that turned sour when he tried to blackmail her for cash, threatening to tell her boyfriend about their trysts.

After a six-day trial in the District Court of Western Australia, Eravelly was convicted on all charges and will be sentenced on June 22.