Teen to stand trial for attack

A TEENAGER will stand trial accused of sexually attacking a girl in a Tamworth home almost two years ago.

The 19-year-old man can’t be named because he allegedly committed the offence when he was 17.

In a brief appearance in Tamworth Local Court, the accused waived his right to a committal hearing and instead will fight the charges when the case heads to trial in the district court.

He’s facing one count of aggravated sexual assault in company and aggravated break-and-enter in company.

Magistrate Michael Holmes said the charges were “very, very serious matters”.

The alleged attack occurred on September 11, 2012, when a 16-year-old girl was home alone and heard a knock on the front door. The girl answered the door and found two males, who forced their way into the property and attacked her. Detectives will allege the girl was held down by one of the men and sexually assaulted. After some time the men fled the scene, before the girl’s mother returned home.

She raised the alarm and reported the incident to police before detectives attached to the Child Abuse Squad’s Tamworth office took charge of the case.

After a 17-month investigation, officers had a breakthrough and arrested the 19-year-old Tamworth man in February this year before he was charged.

The waiver of a committal this week follows three months of court proceedings which entailed detectives compiling a brief against the accused that contained DNA evidence allegedly linking him to the scene of the crime.

The 19-year-old, who is being housed at the Tamworth Correctional Centre, made no application for bail and it was formally refused by Magistrate Holmes.

The accused will remain in custody until a date is set for the trial.

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