Raymond John Belsey (27) appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday after being found guilty of unlawful sexual connection by a jury last year.
He also pleaded guilty to wilful damage — smashing a wooden panel in the building’s historic high courtroom in an angry outburst during the trial.
Judge Michael Turner jailed Belsey for three years four months, a term that would be served without parole since it represented his second strike.
The victim spoke of the intense trauma caused by the incident on July 27, 2020, at the Otago Corrections Facility but placed particular focus on the "demeaning" forensic medical examination he endured the day after he made the complaint.
The man was handcuffed to two Corrections officers while the intrusive assessment took place.
"It was one of the cruellest things I could ever imagine," he told the Otago Daily Times.
The incident prompted an apology from prison manager Lyndal Miles who said she was sorry for "any additional stress and hurt he experienced".
The episode had prompted a review which now dictated a Corrections nurse would accompany any inmate during an exam, while officers remained outside the room.
Belsey and the victim were sharing a cell, despite the latter’s repeated requests to bunk elsewhere.
When Belsey made sexualised comments about a 10-year-old girl who featured in a television advertisement, the pair clashed.
The defendant responded by smashing the remote, jumping down from the top bunk and slamming the television on the floor.
While the victim was face down on his bed, Belsey "effectively pinned him against the cell wall" and committed the sex offence.
He then returned to his bunk where he began to self-pleasure.
Belsey’s odd behaviour continued at yesterday’s sentencing, which was conducted by audiovisual link from Christchurch Men’s Prison because of security fears.
He spent almost the entire hearing doubled over with only his back visible and then broke down in tears midway through a pre-written statement.
It took the form of a prayer, addressed to "Lord Father God".
In the garbled speech, Belsey took aim at his victim and the "biased" jury, and he prayed for the appeal process.
"I really want to stress the fact: just because I was found guilty doesn’t mean I am guilty," he said.
While Belsey was within his rights to maintain his innocence, the statement did nothing to help his cause, Judge Michael Turner said.
"You show no remorse, no insight and until and unless you accept your offending ... therapeutic responses in prison will not be available to you."
The judge said the impact on the victim was clearly "significant and ongoing".
The man said he had faced six months of threats and intimidation from other prisoners in the aftermath of the sexual violence allegations.
When he was released, the humiliation, embarrassment and shame "spiralled out of control" and he relapsed into methamphetamine use, he said.
The court heard Belsey was described as doing well at school until the age of 13 when he became withdrawn and started using cannabis.
A psychotic episode and a spell in a mental health facility followed, and he was placed in state care after his discharge.
He was described in one report as now being "institutionalised".
Judge Turner noted Belsey had more than 60 convictions to his name, a significant number of which were for violence.
As well as the prison term, he was also ordered to pay $812 for the damage he caused at trial.
