Nine years for rape of teenager

A 17-year-old victim is struggling with depression and anxiety after being raped three times in a semipublic space.

Dilbagh Singh, 30, was sentenced in the Christchurch District Court yesterday to 91⁄2 years in prison for the rapes.

The teenager’s victim impact statement was read in court, telling how she was struggling with depression and anxiety and had lost all her self-confidence.

She said Singh had raped her for his own selfish pleasure. ‘‘You took from me something that wasn’t yours to have.’’

Singh had recently met the victim in June 2018. She said he forced himself on her one day, while she was crying throughout, and had not consented. She gave evidence he had raped her twice the following day.

Singh was found guilty of the rapes at an October trial where the only issue was the credibility of the young complainant.

He cried and protested his innocence in the dock before he was sentenced.

Judge David Saunders told Singh: ‘‘Despite your claim of innocence, I now have to sentence you in accordance with the verdicts. I have no concern about the truthfulness of the complainant who has told you how great an impact your actions have had on her.’’

He noted the victim’s comment that Singh had left her afterwards ‘‘like a piece of trash you could throw away and not think twice about’’.

He refused to grant name suppression for Singh.

The jury took about three hours to return to court with its three guilty verdicts.

The judge said he could see that Singh was still distressed about the verdicts, but this was the way the jury system worked.

He could not reduce Singh’s sentence for any remorse or guilty pleas, but he made an allowance for his previous good character.

In jailing Singh, the judge gave him a first strike warning.