73-year-old Uli Maresala-Thomson rapes woman at his granddaughter's birthday party

A 73-year-old man who, at his own granddaughter’s birthday party raped one of her friends, has been jailed for the attack.

A 73-year-old man has faced Ipswich court after raping a young woman at his granddaughter’s birthday party.

Collingwood Park resident, Uli Maresala-Thompson, pleaded guilty to two charges of rape on March 22 2022 — the morning the matter was supposed to go to trial.

He appeared for sentence on June 16, 2022, and a Samoan translator was present throughout the proceedings.

The court heard that in 2020, Maresala-Thompson preyed on a woman, who was in her 20s, at his granddaughter’s birthday party.

The woman had been drinking and retreated to a bedroom to rest.

While she was asleep, Maresala-Thompson digitally raped her.

The woman woke up during the assault, and immediately reported the matter.

Although Maresala-Thompson’s plea of guilty was a late plea, Judge Vicki Loury noted that it saved the woman from giving evidence and the trauma of reliving the incident.

On June 16 2022, the court heard Maresala-Thompson was a New Zealand citizen who had been living in Australia for the past six years, and he would potentially face deportation if he received parole.

Maresala-Thompson’s defence lawyer Justin Thomas said Maresala-Thompson intended to return to New Zealand, where he still has family, if his visa were to be cancelled.

The court heard that Maresala-Thompson has a number of medical conditions; he was morbidly obese, a non insulin dependant diabetic, had congestive cardiac failure, obstructive sleep apnoea, pulmonary disease, a chronic wound on back awaiting surgical management and has had aortic valve surgery.

Mr Thomas said Maresala-Thompson would experience difficulties in custody, as he required access to a sleep apnoea machine and oxygen from time to time.

“While those things can occur in custody, it’s certainly an environment in which it will be not as straightforward for this defendant to live on a day-to-day basis,” he said.

“Any term of imprisonment for a man of this age, with this medical history, is likely to result in a reasonable portion of his future years being served in custody.”

Mr Thomas argued that, with these considerations in mind Maresala-Thompson should instead receive a suspended sentence.

However, the court heard that Maresala-Thompson had a relevant criminal history in New Zealand.

He was convicted in the 1990s for indecently assaulting a 12 year old girl.

Mr Thomas noted that while this offence was “very relevant”, it was also almost 30 years old.

Judge Loury considered the seriousness of Maresala-Thompson’s charges: that the young woman was in a vulnerable position, that there was a clear brazenness in his offending, and that community protection was paramount, given his relevant history.

“I accept however, if you are not released on parole, you will serve a much longer period in custody and your advanced age is relevant to that consideration,” said Judge Loury.

“It may be that that would unduly punish you in comparison to your life expectancy.”

For that reason, Judge Loury said she would suspend Maresala-Thompson’s sentence “earlier than I would otherwise have done.”

Maresala-Thompson ultimately received a suspended sentence of three years imprisonment – to be in effect after he has served nine months in prison.