Husband jailed for drugging, sexually abusing wife

Photo / Martin Sykes

He was supposed to be her partner for life, someone she could trust. But, in a landmark court case, a former Katikati man has been jailed for 20 years after repeatedly drugging his wife and recording himself raping and sexually abusing her, an ordeal which has been described as being among the worst cases of its type.

In a surprise twist in the High Court at Hamilton yesterday, name suppression was lifted on 66-year-old Neil Graham Pitceathly, after his now former wife waived the statutory suppression of any details leading to her identification.

Pitceathly was jailed for a total of 20 years, with a minimum nonparole period of seven years and nine months, on 212 charges 60 of stupefaction, 74 of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection, 17 of rape and 61 of possessing intimate visual recordings without reasonable excuse.

The bulk of the charges related to offending from 1999 to the end of 2003 or start of 2004, when Pitceathly and his wife lived on a Katikati orchard.

Pitceathly stupefied his wife with sleeping pills and home-made alcohol from a still.

He then raped and sexually violated her, using a variety of objects. Photographs of the incidents were taken and stored on Pitceathly's computer.

A further charge related to an earlier incident in Auckland, where Pitceathly sexually violated his wife and recorded it on videotape.

The recordings were uncovered only after Pitceathly's wife arranged for a computer technician to bypass the security systems on Pitceathly's computer, so she could search for evidence of an affair she believed he was having.

Crown prosecutor Rob Ronayne said the "prolonged and serious" offending could be considered "among the worst cases of its type".

Mr Ronayne said there was "particular cruelty" and degradation evident in Pitceathly's actions on some occasions his wife had her face covered with a handkerchief while she was abused, and sometimes a teddy bear was placed under her arm.

Defence counsel Susan Hughes QC maintained Pitceathly's offending had occurred over only a dozen to 15 episodes, and while she accepted a prison sentence was inevitable, she urged Justice Paul Heath to avoid imposing a minimum non-parole period.

She said the sex acts had to be put in context Pitceathly's wife was not physically hurt by the acts, and had no memory of them.

There was no evidence of the images being copied or distributed to others, and Pitceathly maintained his wife knew the photographs were being taken.

Pitceathly also offered $50,000 as reparation.

In sentencing Pitceathly, Justice Heath acknowledged the unique nature of the case. He said in the context of a marriage, Pitceathly's actions were a huge breach of trust.

Pitceathly was also convicted and discharged on one count of possessing an objectionable publication, which he pleaded guilty to before trial.

* Victim tells of her anguish

Neil Graham Pitceathly's former wife declined to speak to the media after sentencing but read her victim-impact statement to the court.

She said her life changed "dramatically" when she discovered what her then husband had done.

"I could not believe it I was so humiliated and embarrassed. This was a man that I trusted and at one point loved dearly."

She said discovery of the recordings meant she felt unsafe around Pitceathly. "I was always afraid that Neil would try and find me and do something to me."

In the wake of the discovery, her self-confidence ebbed. She had became reclusive and suffered from depression as well as suicidal thoughts.

"How do you tell your friends and family that your husband, the person you are meant to trust, stupefied and raped you and put all sorts of objects in you?

"I will have to live with what Neil did to me for the rest of my life; however, I will not allow him to destroy it."

- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES