Parole for Mosgiel rapist

A MOSGIEL man who drank 28 premixed bourbons and raped his pregnant partner was released on parole this week.

The man, who has permanent name suppression to protect the victim, was found guilty of rape, assault with intent to commit rape and injuring with intent to injure following a Dunedin District Court jury trial in 2018.

He was jailed for nearly five and ahalf years, a sentence due to expire in eight months.

The prisoner appeared before the Parole Board last month, and panel convener Neville Trendle said the man’s risk could now be adequately managed in the community.

Due to the ‘‘relative proximity’’ to his victim, he would be GPSmonitored, the board ruled.

At trial, the jury heard the man returned home from work on November 12, 2016, having drunk 28 cans of premixed bourbon and cola.

Despite the victim’s vomiting because of morning sickness, the defendant made sexual advances, and the victim eventually gave in.

Once his conduct became violent, though, she desperately tried to stop him.

Later, the man forced himself on the victim again, prompting her to lash out and kick at him.

He responded by punching her in the jaw and nose, causing it to bleed.

She called police while in the bathroom stemming the bleeding, and they arrested the defendant after he admitted striking her.

On the way to the station, the man made an unprompted, telling comment: ‘‘I didn’t rape her.’’

Mr Trendle said the prisoner had worked with a psychologist in recent months and developed a safety plan.

While he had little support in the community, he had been offered accommodation by Prisoners Aid and Rehabilitation Service, and been accepted for the Support Offenders into Employment programme — a Ministry of Social Development and Department of Corrections initiative.