Convicted murderer sentenced for historic sex crimes in Whanganui District Court

David Noel Roigard was sentenced on historic sex abuse charges in Whanganui District Court on Friday, April 27. Photo/ Bevan Conley

A convicted murderer has been revealed as the man who sexually abused a young girl in Taranaki over 30 years ago, according to Stuff.

David Noel Roigard appeared in Whanganui District Court today and was jailed for three and a half years on five charges of indecent assault on a girl under 12. That offending was committed in the early 1980s in Taranaki.

Roigard is already serving a life sentence in prison for murdering his son, Aaron Roigard, in 2014 to cover up a $60,000 theft.

During his trial in Whanganui last month he was referred to as David Beamsley, as suppression orders were in place regarding the Roigard surname and the court proceedings connected to his murder trial, conviction and sentence.

Judge Philip Crayton lifted those suppression orders today.

"You were only 19 years old, but you were an adult and this was clearly thought through offending," Judge Crayton said at today's sentencing.

"There was a very high level of victim harm in this case."

Last month Roigard was found guilty of the charges at a jury trial in Whanganui District Court and was acquitted on one other charge relating to another complainant.

The abuse of his victim lasted for about a year. He would get her alone and touch her at first, but the abuse became more serious the longer it went on.

Aaron Roigard was a father-of-two and is believed to be buried somewhere in rural South Taranaki, but his body has never been found.

David Roigard denies his involvement in the crime and will appeal his murder conviction and sentence in the Court of Appeal in July.