THE man allegedly murdered by a resident after being found inside a Newcastle house had served time in prison after raping a teenage girl in her own home.
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In what will increase the passionate debate about the murder charge laid against resident Benjamin Batterham, the Newcastle Herald can reveal that his alleged victim Ricky Slater-Dickson was sentenced to a minimum four years' jail for the 2007 attack on a 16-year-old girl in South Tamworth.
The rape followed years of other offending, with Slater-Dickson's lengthy criminal history, tendered in court, detailing convictions for drugs, assault, theft and driving offences.
On a night in June 2007, a teenage girl had been expecting her ex-boyfriend to visit her at her South Tamworth home. But when she answered a knock at the door, she found a pantless Slater-Dickson standing there.
Slater-Dickson ignored her plea for him to leave, pushed his way inside and raped the teenager, facts tendered in court reveal.
He was arrested after his DNA matched a swab taken from the teenager. Slater-Dickson was sentenced to a maximum six years' jail in Sydney District Court on January 16, 2009.
It is understood the victim didn't know Slater-Dickson's name but told police he had turned up at her front door on previous occasions and been told to leave.
But about 11pm on June 6, 2007, he managed to push his way inside the victim's home.
As he sexually assaulted the teenager, he threatened to stab her if she didn't shut up.
When Slater-Dickson left the house, the victim closed the door, ran to her bedroom and called triple-zero, as well as her best friend and her father.
A DNA profile recovered from a vaginal swab was later matched with Slater-Dickson's DNA.
He was arrested in October 2007, and four months later pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual intercourse without consent.
Fairfax Media has previously reported that Slater-Dickson was released from jail in December after successfully appealing against a four-year jail term for aggravated break-and-enter and fraud offences.
He had served more than 20 months before the Court of Criminal Appeal ruled his convictions should be quashed because of errors made by the trial judge.
Newcastle City police are still investigating the possible motive behind Slater-Dickson entering the Cleary Street, Newcastle, home about 3.30am on Saturday.
He was allegedly inside the home, though not in a bedroom, when he was discovered.
What happened next is part of the brief of evidence being prepared, however, Fairfax Media can confirm that Slater-Dickson's neck was not broken.
He was found unresponsive down the street.
