The woman was staying at a hotel on Northbourne Avenue when Lai Ro Puia attacked her. Photo: James Coleman.
CONTENT WARNING: This article refers to sexual assault.
A predator followed a woman into a deserted underground carpark before trying to sexually assault her in a terrifying and violent attack.
The woman had booked a room at a hotel on Northbourne Avenue in November 2025 because she was visiting Canberra to collect her university student son, ACT Supreme Court Justice Andrew Muller said in his recently published decision.
She didn’t notice Lal Ro Puia following her when she drove into the hotel’s underground carpark that evening. After stopping her car, she opened her door to find him standing in front of her.
He asked her for money, food and a hug before grabbing her, pushing her to the ground and jumping on top of her. He tried to pull off her clothes while repeatedly shoving her head into the ground and dragging her across the ground.
The woman fought back, stabbing at his side with her car keys. Puia began taking off his own clothes before he got off her and left the scene.
The entire attack was caught on CCTV.
“One of its compelling features is the courageous attempts of [the woman] to resist and fight off her attacker where opportunity presented to do so,” Justice Muller said.
The woman told the court about her shock, fear and hopelessness as a consequence of the assault occurring when she had no defender and felt increasingly unable to resist her attacker.
“My hope is that no other person experiences such a predator, and that the public are assured of safety and support within the community,” she said.
Puia, who is originally from Myanmar, was 13 when he came to Australia with his family as refugees in 2008.
The now-31-year-old has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, polysubstance use and borderline personality traits.
Justice Muller said he had been living an increasingly itinerant and homeless lifestyle, but had been staying with his father in Queanbeyan before he was arrested in November 2025.
He said Puia had been on the disability support pension for about 10 years, presumably due to his mental health difficulties.
The judge noted the authors of a court report found there had been an increasing frequency of his sexual offending and a sporadic engagement with mental health services.
He has an extensive history of offending across the ACT, NSW and Victoria, including on charges of sexual assault and committing acts of indecency without consent.
Justice Muller said he would sentence Puia to a lengthy period of supervision in the community.
“I believe that offers the most likely path for Mr Puia to reach a point where he no longer presents as a threat to women,” he said.
Puia pleaded guilty to sexual assault in the second degree and burglary.
He was convicted and sentenced to five years’ jail with a two-year, nine-month non-parole period, backdated to account for time in custody. He will be eligible for release from August 2028.
If this story has raised any concerns for you, 1800RESPECT, the national 24-hour sexual assault, family and domestic violence counselling line, can be contacted on 1800 737 732. Help and support are also available through the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre on 6247 2525, the Domestic Violence Crisis Service ACT on 6280 0900, the Sexual Violence Legal Services on 6257 4377 and Lifeline on 13 11 14. In an emergency, call Triple Zero.
If you have been affected by sexual violence, or someone you know has, you can report it to authorities by attending a police station or phoning 131 444.
Margaret Freemantle well how long have you been around ? since the billionaires came to town ?? View