South Otago man faces 38 charges relating to abuse of girls
18 Jan, 2021 05:49 PM
4 minutes to read
Warning: Distressing content
A South Otago man is accused of sexually abusing three girls over a 12-year period, allegedly constructing a range of games to hide his intentions.
The defendant, aged in his 60s, is on trial before the Dunedin District Court facing 38 charges from the 1980s and 1990s, including five of rape and one of attempted rape.
The majority of the charges allege numerous indecencies committed by the defendant against the girls, one of whom was at kindergarten at the time.
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The defendant, having got her alone, allegedly asked if she wanted to play mummies and daddies .
The incident happened in the public bar of the Rosebank Lodge Hotel, in the South Otago town of Balclutha, about 11.40pm on June 20. The pub, known as the Rosie, was hosting a Wild West-themed night, when performer Denis Henderson started playing The victim was on the dance floor with some rugby teammates, who had a tradition of pulling their pants down and dancing when that song came on. The victim left the dance floor and went to a nearby table of friends, but he and others were still naked from the waist down, the court heard.
hamish mcneilly/Stuff
Ben Keach appears in the Dunedin District Court at his sentencing.
Clutha man ordered to pay victim $12,000 after pool cue violation
15 Dec, 2020 01:07 AM
4 minutes to read
Benjamin Roger Keach. Photo / Otago Daily Times
Otago Daily Times
By: Robb Kidd
A Clutha man who used a pool cue to violate a rugby player who had been dancing with his pants down has been ordered to pay his victim $12,000.
Benjamin Roger Keach, 40, appeared in the Dunedin District Court this afternoon after previously pleading guilty to injuring with reckless disregard.
The victim now feared his rugby career was over, the court heard.
Defence counsel John Westgate said his client, a self-employed builder with five staff, would have his thriving business destroyed if he was sentenced to home detention.