Defiant man gets 18 years in prison for abuse of girls

A 51-year-old man remained staunchly defiant as he was jailed for 18 years for the sexual abuse of five girls when they were aged between 4 and 14.

Just before his Christchurch District Court sentencing yesterday, the man sent a letter to the judge reaffirming his denial of everything, and refusing to acknowledge any remorse.

The man had denied 33 charges at a Christchurch trial in August. His defence was that the offending never happened.

The jury convicted him on 28 of the charges after an 11-day hearing. It returned guilty verdicts on charges of indecent assault, indecent acts, sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection, and rape.

Guilty verdicts were delivered involving all five of the girls – now teenagers or adults – who gave evidence by video-link or from behind a screen in court, during the trial before Judge Alistair Garland.

Some of the details of the evidence, including the location of the offending, has been suppressed during the trial and at the sentencing. The man was granted final suppression to protect the identity of the girls.

Crown prosecutor Mark Zarifeh said the offending against two of the girls had involved premeditation and planning. They were vulnerable because of their young ages and the harm caused had been significant. One had been left with severe anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder and another had self-harmed. Both had been left depressed and wary in public. One reported turning to alcohol and drugs, and having relationship difficulties.

Defence counsel Peter Kaye said there was no need to prolong the sentencing process by referring the case to the High Court for preventive detention to be considered.

Without preventive detention being imposed, the jail term would mean the man was not considered for release until he was in his mid-to-late 60s.

He urged the judge not to impose a sentence so long that it excluded the man of any hope of a meaningful life in the community in the future.

Judge Garland said the man had done ‘‘unmeasurable harm’’ to the girls. The man’s risk of offending against young people was assessed as high. A rehabilitation programme was vital for his future, and for the safety of the community.

Describing the man’s offending as predatory and his conduct as degrading, the judge imposed jail terms amounting to 18 years with an order that he cannot be considered for release until he has served 10 years.

He will be registered as a child sex offender.

The man will not receive treatment in prison while he continues to deny the offending.