Burglar gets 21 years' jail, caning, for raping woman
Muhammad Sutarno Nasir was looking for places to burgle around 5am when he saw an open window at a second-storey walk-up unit.
He climbed up a pole, grabbed hold of the flat's laundry pole holders and lifted himself through the window.
He went into a bedroom where he saw a woman sleeping and decided to rape her.
He tried to strangle the victim, then 27, and repeatedly punched her in the face when she shouted and struggled.
Fearing for her life, the woman, who lived with her 75-year-old grandmother, pretended to pass out while he raped her.
Muhammad Sutarno, who has previous convictions for drug offences and misappropriation of property, was arrested more than four hours after the attack on July 24 last year.
He was found to have drug-taking utensils in his pocket.
Yesterday, Muhammad Sutarno, now 30, was sentenced to 21 years' jail and 18 strokes of the cane after he pleaded guilty to one count each of aggravated rape and housebreaking.
He also pleaded guilty to an unrelated charge of heroin possession. Five other charges - two for housebreaking and three for drug offences - were taken into consideration.
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