Jail for indecency with two girls

By David Clarkson at the Rangiora Court House

A man’s indecent acts with two girls have brought a 16-month jail term and the refusal of  name suppression after one victim’s mother told the court: “He doesn’t deserve it.”

Ramon Edward Cossar, a 47-year-old storeman, had pleaded guilty to four charges of doing indecent acts by touching the girls’ breasts or having one of them hold his penis.

One girl was aged 13 and the other was younger.

The mother of one victim read a statement in court saying that Cossar’s offending “will leave mental and emotional scars that will last a life time”. Her daughter was attending counselling weekly. “I am standing here today as the mother of a child who has had her innocence and childhood taken away from her.”

Crown prosecutor Marcus Zintl said denounciation and deterrence were particularly important given the offending. The crown opposed a home detention sentence being imposed.

Defence counsel John Egden said Cossar was deeply sorry for his actions and could not comprehend why he offended. He offered an immediate $5000 payment as emotional harm reparations and was highly motivated to attend the Stop programme for sex offenders.

Judge David Saunders said the victim impact statement had been “powerfully read” to Cossar by the mother of one victim. He noted that the indecency did not amount to the “more invasive type of sexual activity reported in some cases”.

He ordered Cossar to make the $5000 reparation payment, jailed him for 16 months, and ordered six months of post-release conditions which will enable him to attend treatment and counselling for alcohol and drug issues, as well as the Stop programme.