Intoxicated after an evening at the pub, Michael Knight decided to walk 4km home with a woman more than 20 years his junior.
It was there that he sexually assaulted her and raped her as she pretended to be asleep in her bedroom.
The woman told the Invercargill District Court that Knight was “supposed to be someone I could trust and feel safe around, someone who would protect me from dangerous people. Instead [he] became the very person I needed protection from”.
Now Knight has been sentenced by Judge Russell Walker to seven years and seven months’ imprisonment after a jury found him guilty on two charges of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection, and one of rape.
In a recently released decision, Walker said Knight was found not guilty in relation to four other charges related to incidents alleged to have occurred on the walk home from the pub on January 18, 2025.
The sentencing, therefore, focused on the charges relating to Knight’s actions after the pair arrived at his home around 3am.
The victim went to bed and, shortly afterwards, Knight entered the room she was staying in. She continued to lie motionless in bed with her eyes shut, pretending to be asleep.
Knight knelt on the floor next to the victim, removed her lower clothing and sexually violated her before raping her.
The jury rejected Knight’s suggestion that his actions were consensual or that he had a reasonable belief in consent.
Judge Walker said the age gap between the pair was more than 20 years, with Knight being 46 at the time.
“That disparity in age is also a factor that overlaps, to some extent, with victim vulnerability,” Judge Walker said in his decision.
The victim read an impact statement to the court. The judge said it was “clear that she has been significantly impacted by what occurred”.
“She said that the impact of this offending on her life has been immense and that the ripple effect of it has also significantly impacted on other people she loves, especially her mother.”
A report was prepared by Corrections.
During Knight’s meeting with the report writer he was said to have made a number of conflicting statements that suggested his expressed remorse was more related to the situation in which he found himself in. It also suggested he did not accept full responsibility for his offending.
“Your comments also showed limited insight into the factors underpinning your offending,” the judge said.
“You suggested that being under the influence of alcohol was a significant factor underlying what occurred, and your self-reported alcohol use, previous convictions, and a comment from one of the people who has supplied a written reference on your behalf, lend some support to this.”
Knight had previous offending relating to three traffic matters, two of which are excess breath alcohol matters in 2006 and 2015.
His lawyer Hugo Young argued a 10% reduction on any starting point for previous good character was warranted, and he referred to a number of references that had been supplied in support of Knight.
“That is always a difficult and somewhat controversial proposition in relation to offending of this type,” Walker said in the decision.
Walker granted a 5% reduction for previous good behaviour and was sentenced to seven years and seven months’ imprisonment.
- By Brianna McIlraith, Open Justice reporter
SEXUAL HARM
Where to get help:
If it's an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
If you've ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone, contact Safe to Talk confidentially, any time 24/7:
• Call 0800 044 334
• Text 4334
• Email support@safetotalk.nz
• For more info or to web chat visit safetotalk.nz
Alternatively contact your local police station - click here for a list.
If you have been sexually assaulted, remember it's not your fault.
