Bondage dungeon owner sentenced

A Christchurch man who cut scar patterns into teenage girls in a purpose-built suburban bondage dungeon has been sentenced to nine months home detention.

Richard Jeffrey Barker, an importer and property developer, was also ordered to pay each of his victims $5,000 in reparation by Judge Kevin Phillips.

Barker was found guilty of one count of injuring with intent to injure a 15-year-old girl and wounding with intent to injure a 17-year-old girl.

The offending took place in an Aldwins Road, Linwood, house that barker had converted into a bondage and discipline playground complete with themed rooms and a "dungeon".

He was found not guilty of four other charges involving alleged indecencies after electing trial by judge alone.

The scarring had had an impact on both the girls, since it was done at the Linwood dungeon in 2006, the court was told.

Barker's name in the bondage/sadomasochism scene was Dragon, and it was a dragon design he cut onto the shoulder of the 15-year-old.

He cut a design into the breast area of the 17-year-old girl while she was in bondage.

He used scalpels to cut the designs.

Defence counsel Tim Fournier said the girls had given "fully informed consent" for what took place.

But Judge Phillips said Barker, in his 50s, could not avail himself of the defence of consent in those circumstances.

The judge described both girls as "young people on the fringes of Christchurch".

The vulnerable 15-year-old had been involved in self-harm, and the other had taken doses of nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and party pills before the scarring took place.

The scars - meant to be semi-permanent - had turned out to be permanent and both girls were now seeking medical treatment for them.

The scarring acts took place in a themed house in Linwood where a dungeon was set up.

It was a haunt for young people involved in the bondage and discipline scene, and was equipped with suspension devices, whips, and clothing such as corsets.

Judge Phillips said the victim impact statements made distressing reading. One of the girls now suffered shame and fear, and was on anti-psychotic medication.

The other had been scarred physically, mentally, and emotionally, and suffered depression, anxiety, paranoia and panic attacks.

That girl saw Barker as a "manipulator of young people".

The judge said he was pleased to see that Barker now displayed empathy for the victims because in his probation service interview he saw himself as a target, who had done no wrong.

He noted there was offending for dishonesty in 1985, convictions for drug offences in 1995, and indecency convictions in 1996. But he took account of the 12-year gap with no offending.

He accepted Mr Fournier's submission that Barker had "failed to exercise mature and rational judgment".

He also noted an accountant's report that Barker's business as an importer would collapse if he were jailed.

Judge Phillips had dismissed several indecency charges against Barker but convicted him of intentionally injuring and wounding the girls.

Imposing the home detention sentence, and ordering the emotional harm reparations, he told Barker: "Young people need to be protected not only from themselves but from situations where someone of more maturity can take inappropriate decisions for them."

Barker does not live at the house where the dungeon was built. He is banned from possessing or using alcohol or illicit drugs during the home detention term.

- with NZPA

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