Rapist who drove around picking up drunk women outside Melbourne bars and pubs jailed

A rapist who drove through Melbourne’s nightspots to pick up drunk women continues to make no apologies for his actions as a judge sentenced him to seven years behind bars.

The County Court heard that Karl Bacash, 60, had a history of meeting unknown drunk women outside clubs and bars and giving them a lift home.

Bacash was arrested in 2020 and accused of raping three women in April 2017, January 2018 and February 2018.

He later told police that he had previously driven thousands of strangers home, and that some women had “suddenly become sensitive” to him.

“Some girls when they’re drunk wake up and they don’t know if it was consensual.”

Police also found a stolen bank card and five ampoules of liquid morphine in Bacash’s bedside table, which did not appear to have been prescribed to him.

It took four years for Bacash’s cases to reach the courts.

Most of the charges have been dropped or dropped

According to court documents, Bacash was initially committed to stand trial on 14 charges in the County Court, including rape and drugging alleged victims with an “intoxicating substance”.

By Tuesday, however, many of these charges had been dropped or dropped.

Bacash was found guilty against only one woman: the 2017 complainant.

Earlier this year, a County Court jury found him guilty of two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault after picking up the ‘very drunk’ woman outside Richmond’s Corner Hotel at around 3am on a Sunday.

The trial heard Bacash drove to Oakleigh and assaulted the then 27-year-old woman in the passenger seat when she was unable to give consent. He later drove her home and sent a follow-up text the following week asking, “Are you on your way?”

The woman told friends and loved ones about the incident, but was hesitant to report it to police. She went to police in 2019 and later identified Bacash on a photo board.

Bacash had no insight into his offense, the judge says

Judge Martine Marich said Bacash continued to deny assaulting the woman and refused to participate in sex offender rehabilitation while in prison.

“You have no insight into your offense,” she said.

“Bringing home heavily intoxicated women when you don’t know them before could be considered predatory.”

In a victim impact statement, the woman said the attack had left her depressed, anxious and uncomfortable in a romantic relationship.

A jury in a separate trial found Bacash not guilty of raping another complainant. Victoria’s Office of Public Prosecutions has also dropped a rape case involving a third complainant.

Judge Marich said Bacash’s offending was at odds with the glowing character references he received from nine people.

The court heard he provided dedicated care to his seriously ill mother for years, with one of his supporters calling the former travel agent “the nicest man you could meet”.

The rapist, who emerged from prison via video link wearing a green prison T-shirt and a gold cross chain, showed no emotion during the hearing.

Bacash will have to serve a minimum of four years and 10 months before being eligible for parole.