A MAN who attacked and threatened to kill a teenage girl near a laneway in Perth and separately sexually abused another child has been sentenced to six years in prison.
Sean Wood, 51, grabbed the 15-year-old from behind as she was jogging in Mount Lawley in August 2017.
He told her if she screamed he would kill her but she managed to bite his hand, break free and run, the West Australian District Court heard on Wednesday.
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Judge Kevin Sleight found Wood intended to commit a sexual assault against the teenager.
The court also heard a nine-year-old girl was sexually abused in front of two other children in January and Wood was linked to both crimes through DNA evidence.
Referring to victim impact statements, Judge Sleight said the teenager was extremely shaken, suffered panic attacks and distrusted strangers.
He said the younger girl’s mental wellbeing had been significantly affected, describing her as angry and insecure, and noted that she listened to sad music alone in her room.
The two other children who witnessed the abuse were also affected, he added.
Judge Sleight noted Wood, who has a record of sexual offending, was a long-term user of methylamphetamine and had mental health issues.
He also described the apology from the father of three as hollow.
Wood, who pleaded guilty to seven charges, must serve at least four years behind bars before he can be eligible for parole.
— AAP