A man who raped his girlfriend’s twin sister claimed it happened after he mistook her for her sibling.
The 24-year-old man from Melbourne was handed a four-year prison sentence after being convicted of rape and indecent assault.
He told the police his victim was a liar and claimed she had sexually assaulted him, but the court heard he had previously fantasised about having sex with her.
Victorian County Court judge Felicity Hampel accused the man of taking the “cowardly way out” by accusing his partner’s sister of lying at trial.
“Instead of owning up and taking responsibility and trying to make amends, you denied it,” she said.
“You reduced her reputation, attacked her honesty, blamed her and ruined her relationship with her twin.”
The victim had been staying with her sister and was sleeping in the spare bedroom when the man entered her room to speak to her. He then sexually assaulted the victim.
The man then told the police the the rape occurred because his partner and the victim looked identical.
Ms Hampel told him this was a “bizarre” claim considering he had been “talking to [the victim] about her, and her issues, for over an hour.”
The victim has reportedly become estranged from her sister following the attack and has attempted suicide several times.
“All I ever wanted was for him to say 'sorry' and admit what he had done to me,” she said.
