The defendant, aged in his 60s, was before the Dunedin District Court yesterday, where Judge David Robinson granted permanent name suppression on the basis publication might identify the victim.
"It’s a troubling conclusion to reach because your history would strongly suggest there are ongoing risks," he said.
The court heard the defendant also repeatedly groped an 11-year-old girl who was visiting the retirement facility and had previous convictions from between 1980 and 2003 which had resulted in prison time.
Yesterday, he was jailed for three years and nine months on two counts of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection and one of indecent assault.
"There were aspects of this conduct being brazen and persistent," the judge said.
The first crimes were in 2022 or 2023 after his de facto partner had been discharged from time in hospital.
Court documents described how the man entered her home after being at the pub and abused her when he found her incapacitated with a seizure.
The victim later confronted him after recalling the acts.
"She urged him to get help," the police summary said. "He replied that he wouldn’t do it again."
But that was a lie.
In February 2024, the victim — now in a healthcare facility — experienced soreness after waking from another seizure.
Logbooks showed the defendant had been there twice that day, so the woman called him, recording the conversation and capturing her abuser’s confession.
"I played with you a wee bit," he admitted.
The woman’s nightdress was forensically examined and the defendant’s DNA was found in several locations.
When the defendant was grilled by police, he admitted violating the woman twice at her home and six times at the rest-home over a four-month period.
"He added that he did these things, because he thought it would make the complainant feel good and he knew it would make him feel good," the summary recorded.
In December last year at the rest-home, the man turned his attention to a girl more than 40 years younger than his first victim.
He began by grabbing the girl’s bottom.
She told him to stop but only 10 minutes later, the defendant approached her again and slapped her bottom.
Shortly afterwards, he pressed his face into the victim’s neck and picked her up for a few seconds.
Two nurses witnessed the groping and when they intervened, he left the premises.
Judge Robinson said the older victim was devastated by the man’s acts.
"She feels betrayed due to the fact she put a roof over your head and helped you with money," he said.
"Says she can’t cope with what you’ve done and you went back on your word ... It’s breaking her to pieces and it’s not going away."
Counsel Andrew Dawson said his client "genuinely" cared for his former partner.
"He understands that relationship is likely gone now," he said.
