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Offender Databases Graham Rae

Graham Adrian Rae

Alias

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Offences

Serious assault on his ex-partner and the arson of her home in Plimmerton in November 2006
Had numerous other violence convictions and was on bail at the time of this offence

Victims

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Offender Affiliations

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Gang affiliations

none known

Age

Born 1970

Current Location

At large in Lower Hutt

Parole/Release Dates

Sentenced to 5 years 4 months with a 3 year 7 month non parole period in May 2007
Due for early release June 2010

Background
From NZ Lawyer May 2007
A man who seriously beat his former partner, burned down her house then went on the run from police was jailed today for what a judge described as "protracted violence and impetuous rage-driven arson". Graham Adrian Rae, 37, of no fixed abode, was sentenced to five years four months' imprisonment when he appeared in Wellington District Court on charges of arson, injuring with intent to injure and two of breaching a protection order.

Judge Denys Barry said Rae must serve at least two-thirds of his sentence before being considered for parole. Rae was arrested in Tokoroa on December 1 last year after eluding police for more than a week. On November 21 he had gone to his former partner's home in Plimmerton, north of Wellington, in breach of a protection order she had against him. He was told to leave but did not, instead inflicting a savage beating on the woman.

Judge Barry said the attack was "a protracted serious beating directed at the head". It left the woman with a broken nose, two black eyes, haemorrhaging from one eye, internal cuts where her teeth had gone through her lips and facial bruising and swelling. She also had bruising on her arms, back and one leg. Rae then forced the woman to shower to wash off the blood, continuing to punch her as she did. The beating was followed by arson.

"Lighting the fire really reflected an extension of the violence you had visited on the victim, after she had escaped your clutches," Judge Barry said. "This was serious violent offending, serious property offending as the result of a mere loss of temper and rage." At the time of the attack Rae was already on bail for an earlier breach of the protection order. He had a long history of convictions, including "a rich vein of violent offending", Judge Barry said.

A pre-sentence report said Rae had no remorse or sympathy for the victim and blamed her for pushing him over the edge. A psychiatric assessment said Rae's "limited recall" of the incident was "probably as a result of rage induced by total loss of control", Judge Barry said. The judge said he had to take into account the vulnerability of the victim and "the totality of the horror you unleashed on her at the time and the enduring emotional effects". Rae had a troubled upbringing, problems with substance abuse and underlying mental health issues.

Judge Barry took this into account and gave him credit for pleading guilty. He sentenced Rae to five years four months' jail for arson, 2 years 6 months for the assault and four months for each of the breach of protection order charges, all to be served concurrently. He imposed the minimum imprisonment term of two-thirds of the sentence because the degree of violence and accompanying serious property damage meant the usual parole period would not be sufficient to protect the community from Rae.

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Corrections and Additional Information
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