Man jailed for 'barbaric' sex attack

De Young became addicted to cannabis at 13. File photo / Northern Advocate

A schizophrenic 40-year-old man has been jailed for a "barbaric" sexual attack he referred to as "make-up sex".

Dwight De Young was sentenced in the High Court at Rotorua this week to seven years nine months imprisonment, after earlier admitting two charges of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection and rape and one count of injuring with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

De Young sodomised a woman, before repeatedly sexually violating and beating her at his Taupo home in January 2009.

Following his arrest he referred several times to the attack as "make-up sex", the court was told.

Justice John Priestley described the attack as "barbaric" and said De Young was a "serious danger" to himself and others because of his mental illness and cannabis use.

"For some reason, you became angry at a comment she made, punched a hole in the wall near her head and stubbed out a cigarette on her leg," Justice Priestley said.

He said De Young became addicted to cannabis at 13 and first came to the attention of mental health services about 10 years ago. He suffered from schizophrenia and psychosis which caused him to hallucinate, hear voices and experience delusions.

Justice Priestley ordered that De Young be imprisoned in hospital as a "special patient". Should the doctors consider him fit to leave the hospital, he will serve the rest of his sentence in prison.

- NZPA