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Tommy Akena
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Sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection of a Christchurch woman in early 2000
Six prior convictions for sexaul offences including assault with intent to commit sexual violation in 1991
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.
none known
Born 1963
Prison
Sentenced to preventive detention in June 2000
Background
From the Christchurch Press June 2000
A man with six previous sex-related convictions will spend an indefinite time in jail after being sentenced to preventive detention. Tommy Tama Akena, 37, appeared before Justice Young in the High Court in Christchurch yesterday for sentence on an admitted charge of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection.
Justice Young said he would be falling short of his duty to the public if he sentenced Akena to anything other than preventive detention. "The probabilities are you will reoffend if given the opportunity," he said. While no judge liked imposing indefinite jail terms, Akena's risk of offending was so great he really had no other option, he said.
Akena had been warned in 1991 by Justice Williamson at a sentencing for assault with intent to commit sexual violation that if he appeared again on a similar offence a judge would have to imprison him indefinitely. On this occasion, Akena had been at a party at the complainant's house. She went to bed leaving some people, including Akena, in the lounge.
Akena went into the bedroom where the complainant was asleep with her boyfriend. He pulled the sheets down and sexually violated the woman. The woman woke up to see Akena on his knees beside the bed. Justice Young said the victim was outraged and had become apprehensive about her safety. She had shifted house and had suffered post-traumatic stress disorder.
Crown counsel Craig Ruane said a psychiatric report completed by Dr Peter Miller on Akena said that he showed no signs of maturing out of offending and showed a resignation and acceptance of an inevitable sentence rather than a desire to change his life. The only "favourable" aspect was that not all his offending was sexual, and he did not seem to be predatory.
Counsel Pip Hall said Akena had a sexually and physically abusive upbringing and had been addicted to alcohol and drugs from a young age. Akena's offences appeared to be "opportunistic". He did not have a psychiatric disorder which led him to commit sexual offences, but did have an anti- social personality disorder.
