Ian Engelbrecht hides his face when leaving the Nelson District Court after he was sentenced for performing an indecent act. Photo / Tracy Neal
Ian Engelbrecht hides his face when leaving the Nelson District Court after he was sentenced for performing an indecent act. Photo / Tracy Neal
Ian Engelbrecht bowed to the judge when entering court, and again when leaving, during a brief adjournment to try to secure permanent name suppression.
The repeat offender with a penchant for women's underwear, and for surprising his victims in public parks and on beaches by masturbating in front of them, failed to secure the anonymity he wanted for his latest offending which bore "striking similarity" to his crimes dating back to 2004, the Nelson District Court heard on Wednesday.
Engelbrecht had earlier admitted a charge of performing an indecent act. He was sentenced to 12 months' intensive supervision with special conditions, including that he undergoes psychiatric assessment.
Two nights before Christmas last year Engelbrecht arrived at the council-owned McKee Memorial Domain and campground beside Ruby Bay in the Tasman District.
There he saw two women sitting on the beach, who in turn noted his arrival and how he had pointed his car's headlights at them before stopping near the campervan they were staying in.
Several minutes later the women noticed him sitting on the beach, wearing women's lingerie.
He followed them when they moved away, and then removed the lingerie before masturbating in front of them.
The court heard how he remained naked for about 20 minutes, and tried opening the door of the women's locked campervan.
Judge David Ruth noted Engelbrecht's previous convictions for similar offending in Invercargill in 2018, for which he received a sentence of supervision, and in Auckland in 2004 when he was fined.
Defence lawyer Ben Hoffman argued the circumstances which had placed Engelbrecht before the court again were the result of an "unfortunate end to a worsening crisis in his life".
He said the offending was the result of "multi-layered" causes including childhood abuse, mental health problems, and a "significant worsening situation with his family".
Engelbrecht, who was supported in court by his wife, was said to have recognised the state of mind he had been in, and was open and willing to address the underlying causes.
Hoffman said it was not a deliberate attempt to offend in a lewd manner and there had been no deliberate targeting of victims.
Judge Ruth said that flew in the face of the police summary of facts.
Ian Engelbrecht was sentenced to 12 months' supervision in the Nelson District Court. Photo / Tracy Neal
He said not only did Engelbrecht sit on a beach wearing female underwear, he then followed the women back to a point where he began to masturbate in front of them, and then tried to unlock the door of their campervan before peering in.
"In my view if that's not targeting it's certainly perseverance."
Judge Ruth said when viewed against Engelbrecht's previous convictions, the actions took on a heightened degree of seriousness.
He added that he was skeptical of Engelbrecht's admission of remorse, when the accused had told police he did not believe he had done anything wrong.
"I see a person who does what he can to deny what he's done and who then later tries to express remorse," Judge Ruth said.
Engelbrecht was also sentenced to 80 hours' community work, and was told there was no reason for his name to remain suppressed.
Judge Ruth said the effects would likely be more acutely felt by innocent people around him, but that was one of the consequences of Engelbrecht's actions.
