30 violence, sex charges over five years admitted

A 40-year-old man has admitted a series of 30 charges including sexual assaults on a girl, injuring a boy, and kidnapping, assaulting and injuring a woman. Photo / George Heard

A 40-year-old man has admitted a series of 30 charges including sexual assaults on a girl, injuring a boy, and kidnapping, assaulting and injuring a woman.

Riki Kake had been due to appear at a Christchurch District Court jury trial case review today after earlier indicating not guilty pleas to all the charges.

However, defence counsel Serina Bailey told Judge Tom Gilbert that she now had instructions to enter guilty pleas to all the charges.

She said she had no concerns about mental health issues after discussions with Kake.

Because of the Covid restrictions at the Christchurch courts this week, lawyers and media have been attending court sittings online, and Kake was also on a video-link in the court room as he confirmed all his guilty pleas.

The charges including threatening to kill or cause grievous bodily harm, kidnapping a woman, unlawful sexual connection, doing an indecent act on a girl aged under 16, indecently assaulting a girl aged under 16, possession of cannabis for supply, and possession of cannabis oil.

A later group of charges includes eight of injuring a boy with intent to injure, impeding breathing, assault, indecent assaults on a girl, and attempted rape.

The Crown has presented to the court a summary of fact detailing a series of assaults, including choking with a cord, hitting with implements, or punches including one that knocked out a woman's tooth.

The offending took place at North Canterbury locations and in Northland and Tauranga from 2016 to 2021.

Kake was remanded in custody to March 29 for a pre-sentence report and sentence. Judge Gilbert gave him a first-strike warning which imposes heavier penalties on repeat violent offenders, and referred the case to see if a restorative justice meeting with the victims may be held.