A vicious sexual predator who kidnapped a 19-year-old woman from a supermarket car park has been sentenced to six years and seven months of preventive detention.
Robert Allen Mair, 40, told police at the time of his arrest he sexually violated the teenager in Palmerston North, New Zealand, in a bizarre attempt to anger his ex-partner.
He appeared in the New Zealand High Court on Wednesday morning for sentencing, where he pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual violation, one count of sexual violation by rape, one charge of kidnapping and one of attempted kidnapping.
Justice Christine Grice recalled the horrific details of the rape, which took place when Mair was on home detention for assaulting a young boy.
Rapist Robert Allen Mair will serve at least six months and seven years behind bars
The court was told Mair went in search of his ex-partner on November 27 last year, after she had recently chosen to end her relationship with him.
Mair found the woman and their children in nearby Whanganui, but his potentially devious plans were thwarted when police unexpectedly arrived on the scene.
Unperturbed, Mair then approached an unknown woman, got into the passenger seat of her car while holding a knife, and told her to drive.
But when the woman screamed for help and jumped out of the car, Mair fled the scene.
Roughly 15 minutes later, he found a second young woman sitting alone in her car at a supermarket car park.
After she initially refused to comply to his demands, Mair placed her in the boot of her own car, before raping her in Rangitīkei.
Mair eventually let the woman go, and police charged him with a litany of offences the next day.
On Wednesday in the High Court, the victim recorded her impact statement ahead of the sentencing, as she did not wish to be in the same room as her rapist.
Since the attack, she has been anxious, paranoid and unable to work.
Robert Allen Mair will have plenty of time to reflect on his deviant behind when in jail (STOCK IMAGE)
Defence lawyer Esme Killeen said Mair had a ‘sad story’ behind him.
‘He is really, really ashamed to be back before the court,’ she said.
‘It is an utter tragedy that he has re-offended in this way … he is a man capable of change, he is a man that is motivated to make a better life for his own children than he himself had.’
Justice Grice also revealed Mair had 33 previous convictions, eight for sexual offending, and two kidnapping charges.
After serving a minimum term of six years and seven months, Mair could be released if he proves he is not a community risk.