Jailed for poison sex plot

A man who concocted a bizarre toxin poison plot to coerce his former partner into sexual acts has been sentenced to three years and two months in prison.

The 24-year-old, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his victim, was sentenced at Rotorua District Court yesterday to one charge of inducing sexual connection by threat and one charge of male assaults female.

The offending – which sentencing Judge Maree Mackenzie and defence lawyer Harry Edward both described as bizarre – occurred in 2015 when the man returned to the Rotorua property he shared with his former partner, telling her he had been assaulted and forced to drink a toxin that would kill him in 48 hours.

The one thing that could exhaust the toxin from his body, he told her, was sex, and lots of it.

According to the police summary of facts, he told the complainant that he would die if he didn’t do certain things to sweat it out within 48 hours.

She suggested a run, but that was rejected by the man, who also said no antidote existed to the toxin and that the mystery assailant had left the country.

Then the emails began arriving in his victim’s inbox.

In the first of them, the person sending them introduced himself and said he was going to punish the man for hitting her during their relationship.

The emails instructed the man’s former partner to perform ‘‘[a sex act] four times and three rounds of sexual intercourse’’ on the man, within 48 hours, to exhaust the toxin from his body.

The woman ‘‘did as she was instructed’’. ‘‘The complainant only consented to this activity because she believed the defendant’s life was in danger.’’ Despite the 48-hour period passing, the emails continued, this time with threats.

‘‘She was told she had to choose three people she loved as they had three bullets they planned to use.’’

Threats were also made that intimate photographs would be made public – and a car was promised if she continued to perform the sex acts.

‘‘The complainant was forced to perform sexual acts on a daily basis and for long periods of time.’’

The summary lists a number of sex acts the woman was coerced into. However, the woman started to suspect the person sending the emails was in fact her former partner.

The emails contained spelling mistakes he commonly made, requested sex acts he had asked for and been denied, and referred to her by a nickname he’d only ever used himself.

Her former partner initially denied any knowledge when confronted, then told her that he would make sure she never saw their son again.

After the woman pushed him away, a tussle ensued. The man grabbed her arm, twisted it behind her back and knocked her to the ground.

‘‘When the complainant could not take it anymore, and realised that it wasn’t going to stop without intervention, she confided in a friend who encouraged her to report it to the police.’’

In mitigation, defence lawyer Edward cited a number of issues from the defendant’s past – all of which were suppressed by the judge.

Details from the victim impact statement were also suppressed.

Edward also said his client was actively seeking employment and had no previous convictions.

‘‘It is most unlikely this defendant will appear in court again,’’ he said.

Edward also revealed he would seek to appeal the sentence, and that the defendant is in a new relationship.