One of Western Australia's worst sex offenders has pleaded guilty at the 11th hour to a horrific attack on a 13-year-old girl in the Mid West city of Geraldton.
Patrick Alfred Merritt, formerly known as Patrick Alfred Comeagain, had been due to stand trial in the District Court accused of eight offences dating back to November 1994.
He initially pleaded not guilty to the charges, but after a brief adjournment — and just before the victim was due to give evidence — Merritt changed his pleas to guilty.
The court was told Merritt had covered his face before dragging the girl from her bed and taking her to nearby bushland, where he repeatedly sexually assaulted her.
Just three days later, he sexually assaulted another child.
Merritt was arrested over that crime and in 1995 was sentenced to 10 years in jail.
However, he was not charged with the attack on the 13-year-old girl until 2016, after police conducted a cold case review.
Merritt has a history of violent sex crimes against women and young girls, and in 2008 he was declared a dangerous sex offender under tough laws introduced in WA two years earlier.
He was released from prison on a strict supervision order in 2014, but was put back behind bars indefinitely after breaching the order by taking drugs and failing to report to his supervisor.
Merritt will face a sentencing hearing later this week for the Geraldton offences.
