Meatworker Mikaele Vince Liki sentenced for Rockhampton sexual assault

A meatworker has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a young female stranger after ignoring her pleas of ‘no’.

A married man has risked his job and deportation after a protracted sexual assault of a young female, where he asked to pay her for sex, after a night out in Queensland.

A married man has risked his job and deportation after a protracted sexual assault of a young female, where he asked to pay her for sex, after a night out in Queensland.

Mikaele Vince Liki fronted Rockhampton Magistrates Court last week, where police prosecutor Claudia Neill-Ballantine told the court Liki’s offending against the 19-year-old victim was persistent.

She said the victim was waiting for a lift home after a night out when she was approached by a stranger – Liki.

“The defendant was not deterred by repeatedly being told ‘no’, that the complainant had a boyfriend on the way to pick her up and continued to inappropriately touch the victim,” Ms Neill-Ballantine said.

Magistrate Lance Rundle said Liki initially touched the victim’s back, talking to her about paying for sex before playing with her skirt to expose her leg and touch her genitalia through her underwear, twice.

He said the victim told Liki that she was loyal and loved her boyfriend.

Defence lawyer Felicity Davis said her client, a Samoan, was working at Teys meatworks on a visa and his pay was predominantly sent to his family in Samoa.

She said he had a wife and children in Samoa, whom he was supporting.

Ms Davis said Liki, who regularly attended church, came from a culture where this type of offending was “very shameful”.

“He’s very sorry for what he has done,” she said.

“He feels a deep sense of shame.

“He is still employed with Teys meatworks, however, he is at risk of having his four-year visa cancelled and returned to Samoa because of this.”

Liki pleaded guilty to one charge of sexual assault and was sentenced to 12 months prison, wholly suspended with a three-year operational period.