Judge Gibson told the court Jago had not acknowledged the offending until now, and that the other two victims had had to give evidence at trial.<\/p>\n
The latest victim told the court today that before the abuse, which occurred in the mid-1990s, he was a champion athlete who was always \u201con the podium\u201d and thought he was \u201cinvincible\u201d.<\/p>\n
He told the court that after the death of a fellow surf lifesaver, Jago had been there for him and others. At one event following the death, the then-teenager had been drinking and woke up to the abuse.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince the assault, my life has changed in ways I never expected.\u201d <\/p>\n
Former Act Party president Tim Jago. Photo \/ RNZ, Calvin Samuel<\/p>\n
He submitted he never patrolled beaches or competed again. <\/p>\n
The man had experienced \u201cfear, anxiety, anger and embarrassment\u201d following the assault. <\/p>\n
He told the court he has struggled to trust others and struggled in his relationships. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve found it difficult to be around people.\u201d <\/p>\n
Judge Gibson said the latest offending was very similar to the charges Jago was previously convicted of in that the complainants were young and intoxicated.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe awoke in bed naked with you performing [a sex act] on him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Judge Gibson said the man, who was young at the time, had \u201csuffered greatly\u201d as a result and his life had been \u201cknocked him off his track\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe harm didn\u2019t just end on the day it occurred\u201d<\/p>\n
As an older member of the surf lifesaving community, he had abused his victim\u2019s trust.<\/p>\n
Brookie said his client also wanted to make a further reparation payment of $1500 to the complainant, as he had offered to the others.<\/p>\n
Defence lawyer Ian Brookie.<\/p>\n
While no payment had been made to the other men to date, Brookie said it would be a priority once Jago left prison.<\/p>\n
Crown lawyer Emma Kerr submitted that \u201csignificant harm\u201d had been caused by the offending and she rejected the submission that the breach of trust was slight.<\/p>\n
Earlier this week the Herald revealed Jago had pleaded guilty<\/a> to one charge of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection, which had been laid late last year. <\/p>\n An indecency charge he was facing is not being pursued at this stage.<\/p>\n Officer in charge, Detective Sam Walker, said police received a report in late 2025 about this matter. <\/p>\n \u201cThis was a result of publicity on offending that had occurred around the same period in the mid-1990s, which Tim Jago had already been sentenced for.\u201d<\/p>\n Walker said police were pleased the case has been resolved without the need for a trial. <\/p>\n \u201cWe would like to acknowledge harm caused to the victims who have come forward. <\/p>\n \u201cWe would also encourage any other victims who have matters they need to raise to come forward to police. The offending we aware of to date all occurred within the surf lifesaving community.\u201d<\/p>\n In August 2024, the disgraced former Act Party president was separately found guilty by a jury of the indecent assault of two teenage boys<\/a> he mentored through a sports club during the 1990s.<\/p>\n Jago was sentenced to two-and-a-half years\u2019 imprisonment and unsuccessfully appealed both his sentence and convictions.<\/p>\n He had argued that some of the charges should not have been considered and that the judge\u2019s directions to the jury were inadequate.<\/p>\n Katie Harris is an Auckland-based journalist who covers issues such as sexual assault, workplace misconduct, media, crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2020.<\/p>\n