A Ukrainian man who viciously beat and raped a 34-year-old prostitute at an Auckland cemetery has been jailed for nine years.
Viktor Mykhailov was sentenced at the Auckland District Court today for two counts of sexual violation and one of injuring with intent to facilitate sexual violation.
On March 15 the 28-year-old SkyCity chef walked the length of Karangahape Rd three times before approaching the victim for sexual services.
She followed him to the Symonds St cemetery, where she lost sight of him before he attacked her from behind.
Mykhailov dragged the sex worker by her hair 40 metres into the darkness of the graveyard, where he punched her in the head and kicked her in the torso throughout a prolonged sexual assault.
When the attack was over, Mykhailov fled the scene and the woman ran naked and bloodied to the Langham Hotel nearby, where she was helped by staff.
She sustained a fractured eye socket in the attack, which gave her sporadic loss of sight, and a broken nose that needs rhinoplasty surgery.
"She is scared around people, has trust issues and feels confused and frustrated," said Crown prosecutor Asishna Prasad, reports the New Zealand Herald.
Mykhailov, who was assisted by a translator in court, acknowledged it would be hard for his victim to move on from the attack.
"It'll be even harder for me to move and realise what I've done."
Mykhailov, who has been a permanent resident of New Zealand for the past three years, was ordered to pay $5000 to his victim and will likely be deported after serving his sentence.
3 News
source: newshub archive
