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Offender Databases Shaun Bennett

Shaun Bennett

Alias

.

Offences

Multiple sexual assaults and attempted rape of a teenage Hawera girl in April 2008

Victims

.

Offender Affiliations

.

Gang affiliations

none known

Age

Born 1972

Current Location

Prison

Parole/Release Dates

Sentenced to be updated

Background
From Taranaki Daily News story 28th May 2009
Defence witnesses were called unreliable and liars by the Crown in its sexual abuse case against Hawera man Shaun Bennett yesterday. Bennett, 37, was last night found guilty of attempting to rape a teenage girl, as well as multiple charges of sexual assault and doing an indecent act. Crown prosecutor Cherie Clarke took the opportunity during her closing address to the jury in the New Plymouth District Court to outline the inconsistencies in two of the defence witnesses' evidence.

One of the those witnesses, Hawera freezing worker Jessica Brown, had sought to give Bennett an alibi. She told the court they had gone to Waihi Beach drinking after they had finished their night shift in April last year at the time the Crown says he was attempting to rape the complainant. She then denied accusations by the Crown that she had talked in depth to her workmate about the case and agreed to give evidence on his behalf. "I didn't see a reason to talk about it," she said.

Her story was in contrast, however, to the statement Bennett had given police in which he said he had been out drinking with the "boning boys" after work on the night in question. Ms Brown also denied she was in a relationship with the accused, insisting they were just "good friends".

Earlier, the court heard from Bennett's partner, Melissa Ngataierua, who maintained another girl in the room at the time of the alleged attempted rape was a light sleeper who would wake up every time the door to her room opened. Ms Ngataierua then went into detail about Bennett's underwear preference, telling the court he only wore "jocks" and not the boxer shorts the complainant has described during her attack.

"He couldn't wear boxers because they gave him a red rash all over his legs," she said. "They gave him an irritation." She denied she was turning up to court to try to make out her home life with the accused was much better than it was. As well as attacking the defence witnesses in her closing, Ms Clarke said the case was also about credibility and there was no reason for the complainant to make up the allegations. She said the young woman was not clever enough to come up with such a story.

Counsel Kelly Marriner was equally adamant in her final address, saying the defence had provided a credible alibi and counter-evidence to disprove the complainant's allegations, including the strong rejection that her client ever wore boxer shorts. Judge Allan Roberts remanded Bennett in custody for sentencing on June 10.

From Taranaki Daily News story 27th May 2009
THE defence of an alleged attempted rapist could centre on a pair of boxer shorts. Shaun Bennett, 37, is accused of attempting to rape a teenage girl in Hawera in April last year, as well as multiple charges of indecent assault and doing an indecent act.

The Hawera meat grader denied the charges on the first day of his trial in the New Plymouth District Court yesterday. The Crown says Bennett sexually assaulted the girl on several occasions before trying to rape her while she visited his house. Crown prosecutor Cherie Clarke told the jury Bennett told the teenager not to tell anyone what had happened.

Ms Clarke said the Crown would call four witnesses during the trial. A tearful complainant was first to give evidence yesterday, telling the court she fell asleep at Bennett's house on the night he tried to rape her. She woke to find him in nothing but his boxer shorts as he pulled the blankets away from her.

"I could see his face clearly," she said. "I just hoped he went away, but he didn't." The young woman said she was sexually assaulted before the accused got on top of her and unsuccessfully tried to rape her. "He kept saying 'please, please, please' but I said 'no'," she said. Bennett, she said, persisted for about five or 10 minutes before he got up and left the room.

To defence counsel Kelly Marriner, the complainant did not agree with a suggestion that a girl in the room at the time of the alleged attempted rape was an extremely light sleeper who would wake up to any sound in the room. The complainant was then asked to go into detail when questioned about the boxer shorts she said the accused was wearing.

After telling the court they were satin boxer shorts, Ms Marriner asked if she knew her client did not even own a pair and would not wear them because they gave him "an irritation". The complainant did not. Ms Marriner then went on to claim Bennett was not even home on the night of the alleged attempted rape. The trial, before Judge Allan Roberts, continues today.

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Corrections and Additional Information
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