Shepparton man sexually assaulted three people on one night

Prosecutor Andrew Moore told the court Johnston’s first victim was a worker at a massage store who refused his demand for sex at 6.20pm on November 8, 2022.

Mr Moore said Johnston asked the worker for “full-service sex”, telling her “I’ve got money”, but she refused, telling him she only did massage.

Johnston pushed his way through the shop door, before pushing the worker into the staff area.

He grabbed her breast and then inappropriately touched her for about a minute until the woman screamed “we’ve got CCTV” and he ran off.

The woman ran to a nearby business for help and called police.

The woman told police she was “sad, hurt and fearful he might return”, Mr Moore said.

“She told a police member this would be in her mind for the rest of her life.”

His second victim was a woman who was picking up a passenger at the Shepparton railway station.

The court was told Johnston also got into her car, grabbed the woman from behind with his hands hugging her, before he kissed her about 9.20pm.

The woman beeped the horn and told the man to “get off me”.

The man got out of the car and ran off, before the woman noticed their wallet, which contained $170 in cash, was missing.

The third victim was trying to leave Shepparton railway station in their car on the same night, and was forced to stop to avoid crashing into Johnston.

Johnston tried to grab the keys and opened the driver’s door and told them to get out.

When the victim told Johnston they were not getting out of the car he said he would “give them a grand”.

Johnston then said he just wanted to go home and climbed over the driver into the passenger seat.

The driver pulled over in Vaughan St and Johnston asked them if they were single, before saying he had “two grand and a big d***”.

He then climbed over the driver, and alternated between kissing them and biting them on the lips.

Johnston eventually got out and the driver locked the car, with Johnson crying and saying “I just need a ride home”.

Police found Johnston at his Shepparton home at 1.49am on October 9 in the process of self-harming.

He was taken to hospital and sedated.

When he regained consciousness the next day he didn’t appear to have any recollection of the previous night’s offences, Mr Moore said.

When interviewed by police, he told them he was “depressed and upset” and had been drinking heavily and had used methamphetamines.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, the third victim told how they did not want to be alone in their own house any more because they feared something would happen to them or they would do something to themselves.

They told of having to sell their car because of the reminder of that night, and said they were unable to drive for four months after the attack.

The victim also has a permanent scar on their lip from where Johnston bit them, and they had to have blood tests for months to unsure they had not been exposed to disease.

Johnston’s defence counsel Briana Proud said her client had had an argument with his partner on the night of the offending and they broke up.

Ms Proud said Johnston also had “one of the most adverse childhoods” she had ever seen, and he did not know any other coping mechanisms, so he turned to drugs.

She said Johnston was “in a period of high drug use” at the time and was using methamphetamines intravenously, using GHB daily, and was using cannabis, and prescription medication he did not have a prescription for.

Ms Proud said Johnston’s drug use was “deeply linked to homelessness and a lack of anywhere stable to live his whole life”.

Johnston, who is in prison on remand, will be sentenced in September.

GV Centre Against Sexual Assault provides free and confidential counselling, information, advocacy and support to people who have been affected by sexual assault. Call 1800 112 343 or visit gvcasa.com.au

Lifeline provides crisis support and suicide prevention help. Call Lifeline on 131 114.