26 Feb 2021

Prisoner who raped and assaulted cellmate gets preventive detention sentence

2:27 pm on 26 February 2021

A prisoner who raped and assaulted his cellmate repeatedly and threatened to kill him has been given a preventive detention sentence and must serve a minimum period of 10 years.

No caption

Photo: RNZ / Richard Tindiller

Benjamin Nilesh Goundar was sentenced in the High Court in Wellington today.

He was found guilty in November of abusing his bunkmate, who was 18 years old at the time of the offending.

Goundar was already in jail for violent sexual offending.

In a victim impact statement read to the court today, the victim said he sees Goundar's face everywhere he looks.

The Judge said she hopes the preventative sentence will incentivise Goundar to get the rehabilitative help he needs.

  • Inmate found guilty of sexually assaulting younger cellmate
  •