Roman Heinze, the man behind horrific offences committed against two backpackers at South Australia’s Salt Creek, has been sentenced to 22 years and four months behind bars.
The 61-year-old Morphett Vale man had been found guilty of crimes including physical and sexual assault, aggravated kidnapping, and endangering life, all of which were perpetrated during the February 2016 attack.
Justice Trish Kelly told Heinze his actions were “utterly depraved.”
“Yours is not the conduct of a civilised human being but an enraged and somewhat primitive man lacking any moral compass whatsoever,” Kelly said, before characterising him as “a very dangerous person, especially to the young women you have sought out on the internet.”
Heinze first met the German and Brazilian backpackers he attacked via Gumtree, after he responded to the Brazilian woman’s ad requesting a ride to Melbourne.
While showing the women the Coorong beach, he tied up the Brazilian woman and sexually assaulted her. As the second woman attempted to help her companion, Heinze attacked her with a hammer, and attempted to run her over with his four-wheel-drive.
He was also convicted of an indecent assault perpetrated against another woman, which took place two years before the Salt Creek attack.
Heinze will serve a non-parole period of 17 years.
Source: ABC / The Advertiser.
Photo: Facebook.
