Warning: This story contains graphic content some people may find distressing.
A man who has pleaded guilty to breaking into a flat and raping a student could now face an open-ended prison term.
Keith Andrew Wicks-Cairns, 36, appeared in the High Court at Dunedin this morning after earlier admitting the burglary of the Cosy Dell Rd property and two counts of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection.
The defendant previously denied a final charge of rape but today change his stance on that after a count of strangulation was dropped by the Crown.
Wicks-Cairns now faces the possibility of preventive detention – an indefinite prison term – because of his history of sexual violence, which involved crimes against young girls and a near-five-year prison term.
In the early hours of February 4, he was driving around North Dunedin’s student sector.
After parking in Queens Dr, CCTV captured him walking towards Cosy Dell Rd, wearing a beanie, dark clothing and red shoes.
As he selected the home of the victim, he pulled the hat over his face to conceal his identity, court documents said.
Once inside, Wicks-Cairns made his way to the top floor where the woman was sleeping.
The defendant immediately put his hand over the victim’s mouth and forced her head into the pillow.
As she woke, he repeatedly asked: "are you going to be quiet?"
The woman screamed and tried to kick out, prompting Wicks-Cairns to restrain her by the wrists, his knee against her lower back.
The court heard he then pushed her face down into the mattress.
"No one is going to hear you," Wicks-Cairns said.
What happened next is too graphic to be detailed but the defendant violated the woman despite her protestations, telling her to "enjoy it".
"The victim felt faint, hot and panicky and pleaded with the defendant to open a window because she was hyperventilating," a Crown summary said.
Wicks-Cairns acquiesced but the ordeal for the woman continued as he ordered she return to the bed.
"She lay on the bed with her eyes closed wanting and waiting for what was happening to be over," the court heard.
Once the harrowing attack ended, Wicks-Cairns led the victim to the flat’s kitchen and made her wash her hands.
They then returned to the bedroom where the defendant removed the fitted sheet and left the woman with a chilling threat.
If she told anyone what had happened, he would return.
Nearly 40 minutes after arriving, Wicks-Cairns was again caught on CCTV running from the address, carrying the sheet and leaving in his car.
When Wicks-Cairns was interviewed by police, he said "he did not know what they were talking about".
He refused to make further comment.
In 2013, Wicks-Cairns was jailed for four years 10 months when he appeared at the Invercargill District Court for sex crimes against two pre-teen girls, Stuff reported.
Judge Kevin Phillips said at the time, the defendant appeared to have no remorse "except for yourself".
Today, Crown prosecutor Richard Smith said the man had previously been assessed as a high risk of further crimes but those reports needed to be updated ahead of his sentencing hearing in March.
Wicks-Cairns was remanded in custody pending sentencing.
