Whangārei man sentenced to six years in prison for sex offences against his sister

Over the years, the crimes increased and, after the father’s death, escalated to sexual assaults.

It was only in secondary school that the girl realized that this behavior was not normal and reported the crime.

The man initially pleaded not guilty, but when his jury trial began earlier this year, he changed his plea after prosecutors opened the case.

Prosecutor Pablo Hambler argued that the level of premeditation was high and that the girl had been pressured to keep secrets. Hambler also highlighted the complex dynamics of the whānau relationships that supported both the victim and the perpetrator.

“She wants the court to understand that this is not a case of the family trying to remove him from their lives. He took on the role of a father figure quite early on and she said everyone thinks he’s a bad person, but she sees both sides of him,” Hambler said.

“There are still family ties and a certain appreciation for the good sides of (name removed).”

Defence lawyer Arthur Fairley said his client came into contact with the “Ōtangarei culture” when he moved to live with his father in the suburb of Whangārei.

“He was exposed to what can only be described as ‘Otangarei culture’: drugs, violence, gangs and all the rest,” Fairley said.

The man also told reporters that he was allegedly sexually abused by his father and was forced to watch pornography and smoke methamphetamine while in his father’s care.

Judge John McDonald acknowledged the victim’s emotional conflict and said it was all too common in cases like this.

“She didn’t know it was wrong. An older brother should take care of a younger sister, not turn her into a sex toy.

“This is often the case when sexual crimes occur in the family: one part of the victim hates what is being done to him, while the other part continues to love him.”

He was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison.

Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei-based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked in digital media for five years. She joined NZME in 2023.