Guilty plea out of ‘desperation’

A man who admitted to indecently assaulting a woman in her home says he only pleaded guilty to have the case over and done with.

Ravideep Singh Parmar denied any wrongdoing when he appeared in the Palmerston North District Court on Friday for sentencing.

He earlier pleaded guilty, albeit only after getting a sentence indication, to indecently assaulting a woman in September 2019.

He and the woman lived in the same shared accommodation and they had bumped into each other in the lounge area. She invited him back to her room for a coffee, where he kissed her on the lips.

Despite saying she did not want that or to have sex with him, he kissed her again, said he would get a condom and put her on her bed.

Later that day they were again in the lounge area when he told her to go back to her room with him.

He then physically escorted her to her room – he stopped her using a phone to call police – but she stopped him getting them inside.

He told police nothing sexual took place, claiming he was helping the woman because she felt dizzy.

He told a pre-sentence report writer he did nothing wrong and repeated that in court on Friday.

Speaking through a Punjabi interpreter, he said the guilty plea was out of ‘‘desperation’’.

‘‘[I] didn’t do anything like that.’’ He was living off money his parents sent from India, he said.

Judge Lance Rowe said his explanation contradicted what he told the police.

Defence lawyer Paul Murray said prison would be extremely difficult for Parmar since he did not speak English.

He was due to be deported for a driving offence, but would have to serve any sentence first, Murray said.

Parmar was sentenced to four months’ home detention and must pay $500 emotional harm reparation.