A convicted sex offender told his Invercargill victim "I’m going to do more than rape you this time" just months after he was released from prison, a court has heard.
Vernon Neil Bugden, 43, was sentenced in the Invercargill District Court this week over two breaches of a protection order and two breaches of release conditions.
Judge Thomas Ingram sentenced Bugden to 21 months’ imprisonment and disqualified him from driving for six months.
In 2011, the defendant was convicted of wounding with intent to injure and was sentenced to two years, eight months’ imprisonment.
In 2015 he was jailed for nine years for three charges of sexual violation and one of rape which related to the same victim.
In July he was released from prison after serving the entirety of his sentence without parole as he was subject to the three strikes law.
On August 31, the defendant was driving in Dee St and saw the victim in her car with her son and friend.
Bugden swerved into the victim’s lane beside her. She took evasive action to avoid crashing.
In September, Bugden and the victim had been communicating over Facebook despite him being barred from doing so.
On September 12, the defendant sent the woman sexual and abusive voice messages.
The victim told him to "go away" but he continued the tirade.
The sexual messages continued for days, including Bugden sending an explicit photo of himself.
On September 14, the woman messaged the defendant saying "don’t ever contact me again".
The next day he attempted to video-call her multiple times, which she ignored.
Eventually she told him she was going to police, to which he replied: "I’m
going to do more than rape you this time."
Judge Russell Walker called it "a relentless pursuit of the victim".
"That threat was particularly real and obviously designed to cause the
victim maximum fear," he said.
At a parole hearing, the board said there had been "a disturbing history of control and isolation imposed on the victim by Mr Bugden".
"Mr Bugden continued to control the victim from prison, he constantly phoned her, he did not allow her to socialise with her workmates, and while he was on release to work he made
her visit him. They had consensual sex; she provided him with food and a cellphone."
A report said Bugden had a number of incidents and misconduct in prison and had limited rehabilitation while inside.
Corrections is seeking an extended supervision order — a measure used to monitor and manage only the most high-risk offenders for up to 10 years.
Bugden is opposing the order and a hearing will take place next month.
