Man lay in wait to rape woman
Armed with a skilsaw, knife and air pistol, Peter Andrew Meredith lay in wait in his victim’s home.
He later admitted to police he intended to rape the woman before asking officers to kill him.
This week Meredith, 56, appeared in
Hamilton District Court where he pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary, abduction for sex and discharging a firearm in a house.
According to the summary of facts Meredith purchased a section off the victim – a woman in her 50s – in a Coromandel township.
He moved onto the subdivided land and was living in a caravan on the property.
Meredith did not know the victim and had no previous association with her prior to the incident on September 30, 2018.
At around 8pm Meredith went to the woman’s home taking with him a skilsaw, knife and an air pistol.
There was no one home at the time, so he opened the unlocked front door and let himself in. When the victim arrived home she found the house was locked and smashed a window to get inside.
She found Meredith inside and told him he needed to leave, but he refused.
She became so frightened for her safety she soiled herself, the summary said.
After that she needed to go to the bathroom to clean herself up. Meredith followed.
‘‘He told her he was not going to leave – he was going to f*** her.’’
The woman showered while Meredith watched before wrapping herself in a towel and trying to put on clothes.
Meredith suggested there was something in the woman’s bedroom waiting for her. Sitting on the bed was a skilsaw.
She asked what it was for, but he refused to give an explanation.
The woman realised she needed to get into the dining room to try make her escape.
In the dining room, Meredith told the woman he would give her back the section if she killed him.
He then pulled out a gun and fired a shot into the air and told her if she didn’t kill him, he would kill her and he pulled out a knife.
The woman claimed she needed to go toilet and then managed to escape. She ran to a neighbour’s where she phoned police.
When police arrived Meredith asked the officer to shoot him in the head.
He then confessed he wanted to have sex with the woman and had gone into her room to wait for her.
He bought the items – a skilsaw and knife – along with ‘‘rape tape’’ with the intention to tie her up and rape her.
During his appearance, Judge Kim Saunders issued Meredith with a warning under the three strikes policy.
She then remanded him in custody to reappear for sentencing in June.