Dominic West, who raped and sexually assaulted a young girl, was given an 85 per cent discount off his sentence. Photo / 123RF
Dominic West, who raped and sexually assaulted a young girl, was given an 85 per cent discount off his sentence. Photo / 123RF
WARNING: This article discusses sexual assault and may be distressing.
A man who raped and sexually abused a young girl for years, including pinning her down and choking her, has been given an 85 per cent discount off his sentence after he claimed prison would be difficult.
Dominic West, in his 20s, targeted his victim, who was several years younger than him, for years, often getting angry and threatening her when she would ask him to stop.
West appeared at the Christchurch District Court on Friday where he was sentenced to 12 months of home detention for the abuse against his young victim, who sat in court watching.
According to the summary of facts on one occasion he pinned his victim down and raped her, using one hand to cover her mouth as she protested.
During a second rape the victim bit West in an attempt to escape so he grabbed her by the throat and asked if she was going to be a “good girl” or needed to be punished. He squeezed her throat until she began choking.
West also faced charges of sexually assaulting the girl by touching her inappropriately on multiple occasions and forcing her to touch him
The court heard a probation officer recommended prison for West but the judge took a different stance, stating prison was "not the right place" for the man. Photo / George Heard
West’s lawyer Stephen Hembrow asked the judge not to send his client to prison as he would find it “extraordinarily difficult”, stating any sentence imposed will be “crushing” for him.
Hembrow said his client has sought help from behavioural services which have been successful in his view, stating West was not a risk to the public.
He said West had difficulty with reading and writing and didn’t express fear at going to prison, but “bewilderment” at how things had got to this stage.
Hembrow asked the court to be “merciful” with sentencing West, noting that the charges would have been dealt with in the Youth Court had the latest offending, involving West touching the victim’s breast, not happened.
However, Crown Prosecutor Grace Collett pushed for an end sentence of four years or more of imprisonment, stating West showed “no remorse”.
Collett said there was planning and premeditation involved in the offending as well as a size difference between West and the young girl, who was vulnerable.
Although Collett accepted that West had “unique” circumstances in terms of cognitive function, she sought to have West put on the child sex offender’s register.
Judge Tom Gilbert said reports provided to the court were “not particularly positive” as West had difficulty accepting responsibility for what had occurred, saying he only pleaded guilty to prevent the victim from going through a trial.
“What you did was very wrong and it has seriously impacted lots of people’s lives. You can’t undo what you did,” the judge told West.
The court heard a probation officer recommended prison for West, but the judge took a different stance, stating prison was “not the right place” for him.
Judge Gilbert said after West had participated in an intervention course, the sexual offending stopped, and he is now considered to be at low risk of reoffending.
The judge said it seems West has “managed to do pretty well” with getting a job and his academic achievements.
He gave West discounts for his guilty pleas, “impaired cognitive function”, his youth, his participation in restorative justice, his background of having endured abuse himself and his willingness to attend treatment.
This resulted in a total discount of 85 per cent, taking the end sentence to 12 months of home detention with 200 hours of community work.
Judge Gilbert ordered West to participate in a sexual harm programme, warning the man he would be resentenced to prison if he didn’t participate in this.
West will also have six months of post-detention conditions and will be judicially monitored. He will not be placed on the child sex offender’s register.
Emily Moorhouse is a Christchurch-based Open Justice journalist at NZME. She joined NZME in 2022. Before that, she was at the Christchurch Star.
