Warning: This story deals with details of sexual assault and may be distressing.

A woman who answered an early morning knock at her door was met by a stranger who forced his way into her home and sexually assaulted her.

Before the assault played out, the woman had asked the man through the door who he was.

He lied, saying he was her neighbour. He was really Murray Brunsden, a recidivist sex offender with a high risk of striking again.

But because she thought he was a “friendly” neighbour, the woman opened her door.

Within moments, Brunsden asked the woman if she wanted to go out with him.

She told him no, and he began to push his way into her home as she tried to push back.

Once he had forced his way inside, Brunsden lunged at the woman and pinned her to the ground.

He began to kiss and grope her. The woman screamed for help as she tried to push him off, biting and kicking him.

Murray Brunsden was sentenced to two years and eight months’ imprisonment after indecently assaulting a woman in her home.

Brunsden eventually climbed off the woman and closed the door to the bedroom she was in, locking her inside, before fleeing the scene.

The attack at the woman’s Christchurch home in March last year occurred while her teenage daughter was asleep in another room.

It has left the woman feeling scared for the safety of herself and her daughter.

She feels unsafe in her home, has trouble sleeping, barely goes out any more and avoids talking to others.

The High Court at Christchurch heard this week that she also suffers from severe anxiety and severe daily migraines.

Sexual offending history

Brunsden’s sentencing on charges of burglary and indecent assault in relation to the attack had been transferred from the District Court to the High Court so a sentence of preventive detention could be considered, given Brunsden’s history of sexual offending.

In 2009, he abducted a 35-year-old woman who was walking in an alley.

Brunsden told authorities he approached the victim with the intention of having sex with her, grabbing her, pinning her arms to her sides, and then kissing her.

It stifled her screaming, and as he tried to drag her towards his car, she broke free.

Her husband got out of his car, stopped Brunsden and chased him away.

Then, in 2021, Brunsden indecently assaulted a 12-year-old girl who was playing in a playground at a public park.

Brunsden told authorities she looked 18 and that he wanted to have sex with her.

He approached her, asking her out, and when she did not respond, he became angry.

Brunsden put his hands around her neck, forced her to the ground, and tried to remove her clothes and kiss her. She managed to run away.

Preventive detention considered

At his recent sentencing, the court heard that reports showed he was a high risk of sexual recidivism and there were no plans in place to manage his behaviour.

Brunsden scored low to extremely low in the four areas assessing his intellectual ability, indicating he likely struggled in understanding and using spoken language. However, he was not considered to have an intellectual disability.

After reviewing reports, the prosecution did not seek a sentence of preventive detention.

His personal circumstances showed a history of substance abuse, but he had been in constant long-term employment for more than 30 years.

In sentencing Brunsden, Justice Jonathan Eaton said a sexually motivated, unlawful intrusion into a private residence in the small hours of the night, followed by forcefully indecently assaulting the victim, must be treated sternly.

“Your offending really is a worst nightmare for those who live alone or alone with a young child,” Justice Eaton said.

He sentenced Brunsden to two years and eight months’ imprisonment.

SEXUAL HARM

Where to get help:
If it's an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
If you've ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone, contact Safe to Talk confidentially, any time 24/7:
• Call 0800 044 334
• Text 4334
• Email [email protected]
• For more info or to web chat visit safetotalk.nz
Alternatively contact your local police station - click here for a list.
If you have been sexually assaulted, remember it's not your fault.

Al Williams is an Open Justice reporter for the New Zealand Herald, based in Christchurch. He has worked in daily and community titles in New Zealand and overseas for the past 16 years. Most recently, he was editor of the Hauraki-Coromandel Post, based in Whangamatā. He was previously deputy editor of the Cook Islands News.