In what the judge described as “clear predatory behaviour”, Tekiri saw the woman, aged in her early 20s, walking beside a road in the rain and pulled his vehicle alongside her.
The woman was walking to the centre of town. She said during her evidence at the trial that she felt pressured to get into Tekiri’s car because of his persistence, Judge Bergseng said.
She asked Tekiri to take her to her destination but instead Tekiri drove the other way.
Judge Bergseng said the fact that she was someone who suffered several challenges and was therefore vulnerable would have been immediately obvious to Tekiri.
He said there was an element of “detaining” her in the vehicle, as he did not drive where she asked to go.
Instead, he drove to the carpark at the rear of the Rotorua Aquatic Centre.
As he was driving, he started touching her. He then sexually violated her, causing her pain.
Judge Bergseng said that when the young woman protested, Tekiri told her, “This is fun.”
She escaped when the car stopped. She walked through Kuirau Park to her destination, where she sought help from a friend and went to the police station.
Impacts of the offending
The victim impact statement written by an advocate and support person for the young woman was read in court.
The statement said the woman’s medical condition had been well-managed for several years, but since the incident, she had experienced seizures resulting in hospitalisations.
Doctors had advised that the seizures were brought on by stress, the statement said.
Since her ordeal, the young woman was now unable to walk alone, her trust in people was severely damaged, and she now lived in fear.
Lasting physical, emotional and mental harm had been created, the statement said.
Judge Bergseng said the young woman no longer attended her studies, she was self-harming and not sleeping.
“Without doubt, your offending has had a huge impact on the way she goes about her day-to-day life,” Judge Bergseng told the defendant.
Tekiri still denied the offending and claimed he didn’t remember anything, saying he was likely “high” at the time.
The judge was concerned that Tekiri told a pre-sentence report writer he wanted to “do his time and get it over with”.
He said this appeared to be a “short-term inconvenience” for Tekiri, while the impact on the young woman had been long-term.
Tekiri’s background
Tekiri was brought up around the Mongrel Mob and was himself a patched member.
“You say you have left the gang. That is self-reported, and I take that with a grain of salt.”
Judge Bergseng said Tekiri was addicted to alcohol, methamphetamine, cocaine and cannabis.
According to his lawyer, Alexandra McPherson, he was focused on rehabilitating from drug use.
Crown prosecutor Anna McConachy asked the judge to exercise caution in giving Tekiri a discount on his sentence for his background issues.
She said that although Tekiri was subjected to violence, gangs, drugs and alcohol abuse as a young person, there was nothing to suggest that was a cause for why he would, in later years, pick up a vulnerable stranger in his car and sexually violate her.
She noted he was given the benefit of being granted electronically monitored bail to attend the Grace Foundation – a residential drug and rehabilitation centre in Auckland.
However, McConachy said, Tekiri cut off his bracelet and went on the run for a short period.
Judge Bergseng gave Tekiri small discounts of 5% each for his youth and background factors, arriving at an end sentence of three years and five months.
Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.