Jail term for indecent assault

Press, 14 April 1984, Page 4

Jail term for indecent assault

A young woman at the back of the court with two small children sobbed loudly when a man was jailed for 18 months for what Mr Justice Roper described as a very serious type of indecent assault on a woman, aged 35. Bunny Pani Te Hiko, aged 26, unemployed, who pleaded guilty to the charge of indecent assault, had originally been charged with assault with intent to commit rape. After the taking of depositions in the District Court Te Hiko pleaded guilty to the lesser charge and the one of assault with intent to rape was withdrawn by the Crown. Evidence was given by a divorced woman of 35 that she was awakened about 12.30 a.m. on November 11 by someone moving about the house which she had locked before going to bed. Thinking it was one of the children, she called out but there was no reply and she became afraid. While attempting to get out of bed to turn on the light she was confronted by Te Hiko who was standing naked in the doorway. As she turned on the light it fell to the floor from the dresser and went out. The woman said that she was sitting on the side of the bed when Te Hiko lunged for her and she started to kick wildly as she fell back on the bed. Te Hiko threw himself on top of her and she began screaming and he told her to “shut up.” He put his hand over her mouth and tried to pin her down. “I was fighting for my life, kicking and screaming,” the woman said. During the struggle they both fell off the bed and she landed on top of Te Hiko who told her to shut up or he would kill her. She kept pleading with him to let her

goHe got up and pinned her against the wall. His hands were around her throat and she was swallowing blood. When she agreed to keep quiet he relaxed his hold on her. Another struggle began and Te Hiko put his hand over her mouth to stop her from screaming. She called for her daughter to help her. By that stage they were on the bed again and then they tumbled on to the floor and she attempted to scramble beneath the bed to escape from him. He dragged her out. A little later when he had calmed down she telephoned the police. After getting dressed Te Hiko remained in the house. He had said to her: “Ring the cops. I’ll tell them I came to rape you.” She had known him for some years. She was shocked and bruised and could hardly walk because of an injury to her back. Her face and lip were cut and her throat hurt, the woman said in evidence. Mr A. N. D. Garrett, for Te Hiko, said that his client had pleaded guilty to the lesser charge after the taking of depositions to save the woman and her daughter having to give evidence at a High Court trial. The offence had been committed after a considerable consumption of alcohol following an argument Te Hiko had with his wife and he was trying to get back at her. He had apologised to the woman complainant. Te Hiko’s wife was standing by him and he was active in church life, said Mr Garrett. For the Crown Mr B. M. Stanaway said that his was one of the more serious types of indecent assault which arose from an attack on a woman in her home after Te Hiko broke in.