A married father of two has been jailed for six years and nine months in New Zealand after raping a woman he met on a dating app during a late-night freight run.
33-year-old Indian-origin Shamsher Singh assaulted the victim inside the cab of his commercial truck while parked on a isolated stretch of highway between Nelson and Blenheim, reports NZ Herald.
He was found Singh guilty of rape and sexual assault. Despite medical evidence and a guilty verdict, Singh has denied any wrongdoing.
The incident occurred in January 2024 after the pair connected online and met for lunch in Nelson. Upon learning that the woman’s father was a truck driver, Singh invited her to accompany him on a commercial delivery during night. The victim accepted the invitation because her childhood memories of travelling with her father made her feel secure around trucks.
The assault took place during the return leg of the journey in the early hours of morning. The victim was sleeping on the bed inside the vehicle when Singh pulled over in the remote Rai Valley and immediately launched a physical attack.
When the woman fought back, Singh told her, “F*** it, I’m horny, let’s do it,” before pinning her down and forcing himself on her.
Crown prosecutor Sophie O’Donoghue said that the victim was vulnerable, given that she was stranded in a completely isolated area with no means of escape. O'Donoghue said that Singh ignored the woman's distress, and later attempted to deflect blame by claiming that the victim had a choice and could have escaped sooner.
Following the assault, Singh drove back to the Nelson freight depot, where the victim fled and contacted the police. A medical examination later revealed bruising across her body.
In court, the woman, crying, said the attack destroyed her sense of safety and ruined her childhood memories. Addressing Singh directly, she said, “You stole those happy memories from me when you held me down and raped me. You left me feeling disgusted and ashamed and I blamed myself for what happened, and for getting in your truck.”
During sentencing, Judge Harrop said the responsibility for the crime was only with the offender. He also said Singh did not take part in restorative justice, did not apologise, and showed no remorse, so he did not get the usual sentence reductions.
Defence lawyer Paul Borich, KC, said the assault was "out of character incident" for Singh, pointing to his steady work record and support from his family and the South Island branch of the New Zealand Sikh Society. He also said Singh’s wife still supports him despite the impact on their family.
Judge Harrop set a starting sentence of eight years in prison. He then reduced it slightly for Singh’s previous good character and by 10% for the financial and emotional hardship his prison term would cause his wife and two young children.
Singh received a final sentence of six years and nine months for rape, alongside a two-year concurrent sentence for sexual assault
