A man has pleaded guilty to attempting to rape an elderly woman at a retirement home after breaking into the facility to commit the sickening act.
Former factory worker Shane Huici appeared in the County Court in Melbourne on Friday and admitted trying to rape the 90-year-old woman.
Huici broke into the Tannoch Brae Aged Care center in St Albans, about 80km south-west of Melbourne, in the early hours of August 15, 2021.
A man has pleaded guilty to raping an elderly woman at a Melbourne retirement home (file photo)
At a hearing in January 2022, police alleged he entered the woman’s room after climbing through an unlocked window before verbally raping her on her bed.
The court heard the woman allegedly woke up to see the 25-year-old man holding her to the bed before rushing to set off an emergency alarm nearby.
The woman was later rushed to hospital after reportedly suffering injuries to her forearm and multiple cuts to her lip.
Court documents show the man unlawfully entered the center, caused reckless injury to the woman and stole two keys belonging to the property.
Dressed in a white shirt and a cropped cut, Huici appeared via video link on Friday before pleading guilty to the lesser charge of attempted rape, as well as aggravated burglary, recklessly injuring the victim and theft.
He will now no longer stand trial for rape, to which he had pleaded not guilty.
The former forklift driver will appear in court again on April 3 next year for a plea hearing, during which the facts of the alleged offenses will be stated.