A video has been released of a suspected offender that was involved in a sexually motivated attack of a jogger in St Mary’s Bay. / Auckland City District Police
A man who dragged an Auckland jogger into bushes before strangling his victim and sexually assaulting her has admitted the random and "repugnant attack".
Avin Ivory Lock appeared in the Auckland District Court last week and pleaded guilty after being charged with assault with intent to commit sexual violation.
Police had arrested the 33-year-old in May after a female jogger was attacked in the early hours of May 11.
A woman was running along this path in St Marys Bay before she was dragged into bushes, strangled and indecently assaulted. Photo / Greg Bowker
The woman was running about 5am on a track alongside Auckland's Northern Motorway.
Detective Senior Sergeant Glenn Baldwin said at the time the offender was in Beaumont St, opposite Victoria Park, prior to the incident.
"This was a random attack by a stranger," he said.
Police released CCTV footage taken on the morning of the attack.
Lock faces other charges for offensive behaviour and being unlawfully on property, which he has pleaded not guilty to.
Detective Senior Sergeant Glenn Baldwin said after Lock's arrest a significant amount of resources went into the investigation to solve the "repugnant attack".
"It's a great result to have the alleged offender off our streets," he said.
"We want to assure the community that we will do everything we can to find those responsible for crimes such as this and hold them to account."