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A man who abducted a sleeping seven-year-old girl from her grandmother's Christchurch house has been sent to the High Court for an indefinite jail term to be considered.
David John Gay, 43, has admitted two charges of burglary, unlawfully interfering with a car, abducting the girl, and indecently assaulting her.
Today he also admitted a charge of breach of parole from an earlier jail term, the Court News website reported.
The crown had sought a remand to today so that reports could be prepared by two health assessors to enable the application for preventive detention to be considered.
Christchurch District Court Judge Stephen Erber told Gay: "I decline jurisdiction. I think there is a case for the crown to argue for preventive detention."
Gay has been remanded in custody to the High Court for sentencing on January 22.
The court had earlier been told of Gay prowling the area two or three nights a week, entering one house where he watched a sleeping woman, and another where he picked up the sleeping child, carried her outside, removed her underwear and indecently assaulted her.
He ran off when she woke and screamed.
- NZPA
