Man jailed for rape of elderly woman

Press, 9 July 1983, Page 4

Man jailed for rape of elderly woman

PA Auckland A man who broke into the home of a woman, aged 72, and raped her, has been sentenced to prison for years.

Matthew Whakamau, aged 36, unemployed, of Papakura, appeared before Mr Justice Thorp in the High Court at Auckland for sentence on four charges including rape, unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, and two counts of burglary. Whakamau had pleaded guilty to the charges at an earlier hearing in the District Court at Otahuhu.

The High Court heard that Whakamau had been drinking for six hours on the day of the rape in May. Whakamau had observed the complainant previously and later said he had acted on the spur of the moment. The Court heard that Whakamau was heavily intoxicated and went to sleep on the complainant’s bed after the rape. The police had found him there and handcuffed him.

Mr Justice Thorp described the offence as a bad instance of rape. The complainant’s advanced age was something Whakamau knew about and the attack was prolonged.

“You refused to heed her pleas to desist from the attack and the offence was accompanied by indecencies.”

Mr Justice Thorp sentenced Whakamau to a prison term of five years for rape and a concurrent term of six months for breaking and entering the woman’s home. The other offences of burglary and unlawfully taking a motor vehicle related to an incident in March when Whakamau had broken into a panel beater’s shop and stolen a car, which was recovered badly damaged the next day.

Whakamau was sentenced to concurrent prison terms of six months on these offences, to be served cumulatively on the five-year term.