July 22, 2010

Child sex offender begins 12-year jail term

By David Clarkson

Downcast and weeping in the dock, Andrew Shane Walker has begun a 12-year jail term for the sexual abuse of two small girls.

Christchurch District Court Judge Michael Radford also ended the 43-year-old’s name suppression at his sentencing today.

He told Walker: “This offending is so repugnant that the strongest possible deterrence is required.”

Walker had admitted the offending as soon as he was accused of it, and had pleaded guilty to two charges of indecent assault and two of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection.

He had written letters of apology and begun attending a Stop treatment programme for sex offenders.

Judge Radford said he rejected any suggestion by defence counsel Nick Rout that the offending was less serious because it involved oral sex rather than rape.

“The degradation that you imposed on these children is appalling,” he said.

The charges involved offending more than once against each girl. One of them was aged only six when an offence was committed.

The pre-sentence report by a probation officer showed that Walker’s upbringing and life was unremarkable, and his employment record had always been satisfactory. But the officer also assessed him as a high risk of reoffending.

Judge Radford said the offending fitted into band four of the Court of Appeal’s guidelines for sentencing, and started his sentencing calculation at 18 years. He then allowed a one-third reduction for Walker’s guilty pleas and his remorse and sentenced him to 12 years’ jail with a non-parole term of six years.

The judge told Walker: “I cannot think there is any good reason to suppress your name. There will be no order for name suppression.”