A man tried to abduct an Australian tourist in broad daylight to have sex with her because "a feeling came over him he couldn't resist", Nelson District Court was told yesterday.
Peter Zane Darrell, 42, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to a charge of attempting to abduct a female over 16 years of age to have sex with her when he appeared before Judge Tony Zohrab.
He also pleaded guilty to an unrelated charge of offensive behaviour, and was remanded in custody until April 1 for sentencing, The Nelson Mail reported.
Sergeant Chris Stringer, prosecuting, said that on January 18, the 24-year-old tourist, in New Zealand with a tour group, decided to walk back to the city from Tahunanui Beach to write some emails.
The woman noticed a man sitting on a park bench and he started following her.
Mr Stringer said Darrell started a "light-hearted conversation" with her, and she became increasingly uneasy and kept trying to keep her distance from him.
Outside Auckland Point School, he grabbed her wrists and tried to pull her into the bushes there.
The woman screamed, and Darrell ran off after passing motorists stopped their car to help.
On January 23, Darrell turned himself in at Nelson police station and made a full videotaped confession in which he said a feeling came over him that he could not resist, Mr Stringer said.