The Star: June 15, 2023

The Star Thursday June 15 2023
14
COURT
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Convicted sexual predator
maintains innocence
• By Emily Moorhouse
A MAN found guilty of sexually
assaulting a young girl for three
years maintains he’s innocent
and stood in the dock shaking
his head as his victim described
the ongoing effects of his abuse.
Blair Hunt, 55, appeared in
the district court on Monday
for sentencing with his arms
crossed, often sighing as the
judge outlined his offending.
Even after a jury found him
guilty of 11 charges of sexual
connection with a young person
and five of indecent assault
against a young person, he didn’t
accept the verdict, and nor did
his supporters who filled a large
space in the public gallery.
Hunt’s victim and a couple of
her supporters sat at the other
end of the gallery, watching as
he was imprisoned for three
years and two months.
The victim said Hunt destroyed
her concept of love as he
would often tell her he loved and
she began to believe his actions
were normal, in a statement read
to the court by Crown Prosecutor
Grace Collet.
It wasn’t until the victim was
in a health class when the teacher
began discussing consent that
things slowly started clicking
into place.
The offending spanned from
2016 to 2019 and involved Hunt
touching the victim, who was
under 16, inappropriately on
multiple occasions.
The victim said Hunt would
assault her every chance he got
and would often wait until the
This report was produced
by Open Justice – Te Pātītī,
a Public Interest Journalism
initiative funded by NZ on Air
pair were alone.
Hunt’s lawyer Kerryn Beaton
KC said her client did not accept
the jury’s verdict and asked the
judge to take his health into
consideration while imposing a
sentence, as diabetes can be difficult
to manage in prison.
However, Judge Kevin Phillips
rejected the idea of Hunt’s good
character, stating he lost this
when the offending first began
and continued over three years.
SEXUAL HARM
Where to get help:
If it’s an emergency and
you feel that you or someone
else is at risk, call 111.
If you’ve ever experienced
sexual assault or
abuse and need to talk
to someone, contact Safe
to Talk confidentially, any
time 24/7:
• Call 0800 044 334
• Text 4334
• Email support@safetotalk.nz
• For more info or to
web chat visitsafetotalk.nz
Alternatively contact
your local police station.
If you have been
sexually assaulted,
remember it’s not your
fault.
Assault charge
withdrawn after
man’s death
• By Sam Sherwood
POLICE HAVE withdrawn an
assault charge against a man after
the death of Rangi Ned Kingi at
a Bryndwr property four months
ago.
Kingi, 43, was found dead at
an address on Eden Pl, Bryndwr,
on February 4. Another man had
suffered serious injuries when
emergency services arrived at the
home and was taken to hospital.
Police later charged a 53-yearold
man, who was injured, with
assault. The man has name suppression.
In the district court on Tuesday,
Crown prosecutor Kerry
White sought leave to withdraw
the assault charge, which Judge
Tony Couch granted.
The man’s appearance was
excused.
Police said emergency services
were called to the address on
Eden Pl about 6.20pm on February
4.
Kingi’s oldest child, Luther
Anderson-Kingi, earlier told the
NZ Herald his father was “hardworking,
loving, caring”.
Luther Anderson-Kingi (left)
with his father Rangi Kingi.
Kingi loved his son’s partner’s
children like they were his own
grandchildren, he said.
“He had a good soul, he had a
good heart.”
Anderson-Kingi said the family
was “confused” and waiting
for answers.
“We’re not coping because
we don’t have answers, we don’t
know what happened.
“The whole family is up in the
air. We just want to know what
happened to dad.”
– NZ Herald
Bin Good with recycling
By putting the right clean items in the yellow bin,
you’re helping to reduce waste going to landfill.
These are the only items that can go in the yellow bin:
Remember:
Give your bottles
and containers a rinse
and make sure they
are loose.
Plastic bottles & containers numbered 1, 2 and 5
(3 litres and under and put lids in the red bin)
Glass bottles and jars
(put lids in the red bin)
Thanks for
bin good
If you need more info
download our handy
Christchurch Bins app
ccc.govt.nz/bin-app
Flattened cardboard and paper
(no smaller than a standard envelope)
Aluminium cans and metal tins
(please don’t squash)