• Zachariah Steer was sentenced to two years and five months in prison for multiple violence and child sex offences. 
• Steer impregnated a girl after meeting her at her 15th birthday party and living with her in a car. 
• Judge Stephen Harrop issued a protection order for the victim and added Steer to the child sex offender register. 

A 24-year-old man who impregnated a girl weeks after meeting her at her 15th birthday party has been sent to prison. 

His offending against her only ended after he threatened her with a knife to come away with him, and police found the pair trying to build a shelter in the Palmerston North bush with leaves and branches. 

Zachariah Sidney Francis Paul James Steer, now 26, appeared in the Wellington District Court on Monday, having earlier pleaded guilty to multiple violence and child sex offence charges. 

His pleas came part way through a jury trial after the victim withdrew some of her accusations. He admitted the remaining nine charges of unlawful sexual connection with a girl under 16, multiple forms of assault, threatening to kill and impeding breathing. 

Judge Stephen Harrop said Steer met the victim at her 15th birthday party and began a sexual relationship with her shortly after. 

“She became pregnant as a result,” said the judge. The victim gave birth last year. 

Steer had unlawful sexual connections with the girl multiple times, including at her home until one of her relatives ordered him to leave. The victim chose to go with him, and the pair lived out of a car at the Mangaweka campground for about a month. 

The sentencing was held in the Wellington District Court on Monday. 

During their time at the campground, Steer strangled the girl on multiple occasions and punched her numerous times. 

One day they were pulled over in Taihape and police, concerned about the age difference, called Oranga Tamariki. The victim’s sister travelled from another city and took her home with her to live, Judge Harrop said. 

At some point after the victim moved in with her sister, she was putting the rubbish out at 1am when Steer suddenly appeared with a knife, saying “if you don’t get in the car with me I’m going to kill you and your sister”. 

The victim tried to run, but Steer caught her and bit her on the arm, after which she got into the car with him, feeling like she had to. 

“She didn’t say anything, but she began to cry,” the judge said. 

The pair had a car crash on their way down the country, and ended up in Palmerston North with no vehicle to sleep in, so decided to head to the riverside. 

Police found them building a makeshift shelter in the bush and took them to the hospital for their car crash injuries to be checked on. 

Steer eventually left the hospital without the victim, whose sister had picked her up again. 

Judge Harrop said he accepted the relationship was more of a “mutual enterprise” than other cases of unlawful sexual connection. 

“She left voluntarily with you and you were off on an adventure as she chose to describe it,” he said. 

Regardless, the victim had an “inherent vulnerability” and had become “beholden” to Steer. 

Judge Harrop noted the effects on the victim would be significant, particularly having a child with him. 

He allowed a small discount to the sentence for Steer’s guilty pleas, and further discounts for his mental health issues and drug addictions. 

“I accept they were a factor in this offending,” he said. He noted there were indications Steer suffers from PTSD and ADHD and that he was a victim of abuse himself as a child. 

He declined to allow a discount for remorse, despite Steer offering apology letters to the court, instead pointing to comments from the pre-sentence report writer who said Steer had a dismissive attitude and appeared to take no accountability for the offending. 

He was quoted in the report as saying “I only went guilty to get it done with”. 

Judge Harrop said he wasn’t prepared to offer a discount because of the “mixed messages”. 

“I hope your letters are genuine but judges get a lot of those at sentencing and it’s a question of trying to assess how genuine they are,” he said. 

He sentenced Steer to two years and five months in prison and made a protection order in the victim’s favour. Steer will be added to the child sex offender register. 

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.

FAMILY VIOLENCE 

How to get help:
If you're in danger now:
• Phone the police on 111 or ask neighbours or friends to ring for you.
• Run outside and head for where there are other people. Scream for help so your neighbours can hear you.
• Take the children with you. Don't stop to get anything else.
• If you are being abused, remember it's not your fault. Violence is never okay.
Where to go for help or more information:
• Women's Refuge: Crisis line - 0800 REFUGE or 0800 733 843 (available 24/7)
• Shine: Helpline - 0508 744 633 (available 24/7)
• It's Not Ok: Family violence information line - 0800 456 450
• Shakti: Specialist services for African, Asian and Middle Eastern women and children.
• Crisis line - 0800 742 584 (available 24/7)
• Ministry of Justice: For information on family violence
• Te Kupenga Whakaoti Mahi Patunga: National Network of Family Violence Services
• White Ribbon: Aiming to eliminate men's violence towards women.
How to hide your visit:
If you are reading this information on the Herald website and you're worried that someone using the same computer will find out what you've been looking at, you can follow the steps at the link here to hide your visit. Each of the websites above also has a section that outlines this process.

Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years.