A Hawke’s Bay horticultural contractor, Parminder Singh, 46, has been sentenced to more than 14 years in prison for the rape and exploitation of two migrant women he employed. Singh, who ran Work Force J&B Ltd in Hastings, was sentenced on Tuesday at the Napier District Court after being found guilty earlier this year of multiple sexual offences, reported Stuff.
Singh faced five charges of rape, two charges of sexual violation, one charge of stupefying a victim, and two charges of exploiting temporary workers. Despite the verdict, he continued to deny his crimes, Stuff reported.
The court heard that Singh used his position as an employer to manipulate and exploit vulnerable migrant women working under his company, which supplied labour to horticultural businesses across Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne, and Manawatū.
In September 2023, Singh employed a Vietnamese woman in her twenties under the pretext of providing work, but soon began pursuing her sexually. He isolated her in a Hastings motor lodge, raped her on the second night, and continued to assault her over two months while withholding her pay and making her financially dependent, Stuff reported.
Singh later raped the same woman at addresses in Havelock North, Napier, and Auckland. He threatened her, claiming connections with police and Immigration New Zealand, and warned that other Vietnamese workers would “suffer consequences” if she tried to leave, reported Stuff.
His second victim, an Argentinian woman on a visitor visa, was drugged and raped after Singh invited her for a drink under the guise of offering employment. She later escaped with help from another migrant worker and reported the assault to the police.
Crown prosecutor Clayton Walker described Singh’s acts as “premeditated” and said his first victim had been “effectively trapped.” He urged a sentence of 15 to 16 years, citing Singh’s prior convictions and refusal to accept responsibility, Stuff reported.
Judge Richard Earwaker, delivering the sentence, said Singh’s conduct involved a severe breach of trust and power, adding that both victims were “vulnerable and in a foreign country.”
“There was a high level of premeditation about your offending,” Judge Earwaker said. “Your intentions in respect of the first victim were very clear on the first night you took her to the motel,” as quoted by Stuff.
Singh, an Indian national who migrated to New Zealand in 1998, has previous convictions for assault, indecent assault, threats to kill, and wounding with intent, Stuff reported.
Judge Earwaker sentenced Singh to 14 years and two months in prison with a minimum non-parole period of seven years, emphasising the need to denounce his conduct and protect the community from similar exploitation.