Decade-long abuse leads to 17-year sentence for Christchurch man

The woman was abused and assaulted for more than a decade. Stock photo / 123RF

• A man who terrorised his partner for decades has been jailed for 17 years
• Judge Paul Kellar highlighted the serious, prolonged offending and breach of trust when sentencing.
• The victim suffered severe mental trauma and injuries.

Warning: This story includes details of violence and sexual assault and may be distressing.

A man who raped, assaulted, threatened and injured a woman for more than a decade has been jailed for 17 years.

Judge Paul Kellar suppressed details of the case, including the defendant’s name, when sentencing him in the Christchurch District Court on Wednesday.

The man faced multiple charges of rape, impeding breathing, threatening to kill, assault and assault with a weapon, injuring with intent and cruelty to animals.

Crown prosecutor Claire Boshier said the case demonstrated the appalling effect of violence on the victim: serious mental trauma caused by years of abuse.

Boshier said it was the kind of offending that would require a lengthy period of imprisonment.

“This offending will have ramifications for the offender and victim for much longer than the sentence.”

The Crown proposed a starting point of 20 to 22 years in prison.

Defence lawyer Katherine Baserie said the defendant accepted the significant impact on the victim and acknowledged that he would serve a long prison sentence.

The defendant, who had written a letter of apology, had had a dreadful upbringing and was aware of the offending he had perpetuated and was “ashamed”, Baserie said.

The defence sought a sentence of 14 years with a minimum period of seven years imprisonment.

Judge Kellar in detailing the 23 pages of the Crown summary of facts said the incidents had occurred over more than 10 years.

The man had grabbed the victim by the throat, pushed her and strangled her, put her in a headlock and dragged her down the street.

He continued to put her in headlocks, hitting and strangling her.

He would cover the victim’s face, spit on her and kick her in the stomach until she bled.

He punched her with a closed fist to her face, leaving her unable to eat solid food for a week.

The victim would be thrown onto a bed, held down by her throat, and punched in various parts of her body.

Knives, hammers and scissors were used to threaten her.

The man would then demand sex after the assaults.

“You would use all your force to strangle her, as a result the victim has nerve damage to her neck and vertebrae.

“When the victim received a hiding on numerous occasions, you would demand sex, and if she said no, you kept telling her to do what she was told.

“The hidings would go on and on until you couldn’t lift your arms.”

Judge Kellar said the beatings occurred over many years causing moderate to serious injuries.

There was some degree of planning and premeditation, exercising power over the victim.

“This is serious and prolonged offending, a breach of trust, there are no mitigating factors, there were repeated rapes over many years.”

Judge Kellar sentenced the man to 17 years and six months in prison with a minimum non-parole period of eight years and nine months.

Al Williams is an Open Justice reporter for the New Zealand Herald, based in Christchurch. He has worked in daily and community titles in New Zealand and overseas for the last 16 years. Most recently he was editor of the HC Post, based in Whangamata. He was previously deputy editor of Cook Islands News.