The identity and image of a Hamilton Uber driver convicted of raping a 17-year-old passenger can now be publicly disclosed.
Satwinder Singh, 37, received a sentence of seven years and two months in Hamilton District Court in December following his conviction.
Judge Tini Clark had previously found him guilty of rape and three counts of indecent assault in a judge-alone trial.
While the Waikato Times could report Singh's name and case details, it was barred from publishing his photo, until a recent ruling lifted the restriction.
According to a report by Mike Mather of Waikato Times, the paper had photographed Singh in court during sentencing, but his lawyer, Nadine Baier, objected. She argued that "even though Singh’s name and details have already been published - a photo of him in the paper would have a harmful effect on the mental health of his wife."
Judge Clark delayed her decision, awaiting an affidavit from Singh’s wife and related documents.
In a judgment released Thursday, she approved media publication of his photos. This followed instructions to his new counsel that Singh no longer opposed the requests.
Key details of the February 11, 2023, incident remain restricted to protect the victim's statutory name suppression. The teen had ordered an Uber from Speights Ale House to a friend's home in Hamilton East, Mike Mather of Waikato Times has reported.
Singh picked her up after some confusion, from the Pak’nSave car park on Mill St. As she got in, her clothing shifted, prompting him to ask if she was wearing underwear.
“from that moment his interest was piqued,” Judge Clark observed.
He soon touched her inner thigh. She protested, “No, can you not?", but he persisted, bypassing her destination, disabling the GPS, and claiming he was heading to a “special place”, a nearby street, Mike Mather of Waikato Times has reported.
There, he locked the doors, kissed her, touched and sucked her breasts, then raped her before dropping her off. She disclosed the assault to her friends immediately, prompting police involvement and a sexual assault probe.
At trial, Baier contested the victim's reliability due to intoxication, claiming the thigh touch was accidental, the kiss was victim-initiated, breast contact consensual, and no intercourse occurred. Singh had declined her invitation to “come over her,” as reported by Mike Mather of Waikato Times.
The impact on the victim was profound. In her victim impact statement, she described an “overwhelming rage.” A short trip became a “lifelong ordeal,” leaving her fearful of people and public spaces, derailing her university plans.
“She is now having her life coming to a grinding halt, at a time when she should be at her most carefree,” the judge noted.
Sentencing, originally set for July, was delayed for defence-requested background reports on Singh, worsening the victim's distress. Judge Clark described his “unfortunate background” as fostering a “distorted view of New Zealand women who he considered to be forward and promiscuous,” Mike Mather of Waikato Times has reported.
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