September 17, 2012

Home detention for abuse of wife

By David Clarkson

A man who sexually abused his wife during a four-year marriage in the 1970s has been sentenced to three months of home detention, after pleading guilty to a charge of sodomy.

The guilty plea halted the man?s trial in July. The names of the Blenheim man, now aged 62, and his former wife, are suppressed to protect the victim.

The woman read her victim impact statement at the sentencing session before Christchurch District Court Judge Raoul Neave.

She said the man had ?only been interested in control in any way possible? during their marriage and his repeated sexual assaults had left her screaming, crying, and fighting him to stop.

She had since been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and panic disorder with tendencies for depression. She was seeing a counsellor and clinical psychologist.

She still had bowel problems arising from the multiple sexual assaults, she said. She had left the relationship because it became unbearable to stay.

The woman had disclosed the offending five years ago.

Defence counsel Craig Ruane said the man was in ill-health and was not able to do a community work sentence. He urged that community detention be imposed.

Judge Neave said there had been a degree of acquiescence in a marital situation, but the man should have been aware of the fragility of his wife, which pre-dated the offending. ?The offending seems to have occurred because you were effectively paying little or no attention to the wishes and needs of your wife.?

Since the offending, he had been a productive member of society, and had been in a new relationship for 25 years, which seemed to be happy and successful.

He imposed three months of home detention, but no special release conditions were imposed because there was not assessed to be any need for rehabilitation.