WARNING: This story details sexual assaults and may be distressing for some readers.

Shannan Taylor raped a woman while she was recovering from giving birth, her newborn within reach.

The woman resisted but the attack was part of a pattern of sexual abuse against her.

Less than a fortnight earlier, Taylor had raped another woman.

But his sexual offending stretched back even further than that.

Taylor is already serving a prison sentence for sexually abusing children and young people.

Now, he has been sentenced for raping the women, bringing his total amount of time behind bars to 22 years.

The sentencing took place in the High Court at Whanganui after Taylor was found guilty at trial on three charges of rape, one of which was representative, one charge of attempted sexual violation by unlawful connection and one count of assault.

Raped days after giving birth

At the recent hearing, Justice Christine Grice said Taylor repeatedly raped one of the women over a period of time.

The final time it happened was in the days after she had given birth.

Taylor visited while she was in bed recovering, having just fed her newborn, who slept beside her.

He sexually violated the woman and when she resisted, he twisted her arm behind her back and pinned her down.

Taylor then raped her, as she told him “no” and stressed her baby was next to her.

Shannan Joseph Taylor was sentenced in the High Court at Whanganui. Photo / Bevan Conley

She suffered split stitches and heavy bleeding, leading to an infection.

When she later challenged Taylor about the rape and told him she thought her infection might have been caused by it, he laughed and told her that “she liked it”.

Less than a fortnight earlier, Taylor had raped the second woman.

She had put him up for the night when he needed accommodation and the two drank wine together.

At one point, she ended up face down on the ground and Taylor carried her into the bedroom.

“She has a fragmented memory and only recalls drinking one bottle of wine but does not know what happened in the rest of the evening,” Justice Grice said.

“What is clear, and what was accepted by the jury, is that you raped her at this point.”

Lives reshaped by trauma

The primary victim told the court the abuse had profoundly changed her.

“What you did did not end on the day of the offending. The effects of it continue to follow me every single day,” she said in her victim impact statement.

She now lives with post-traumatic stress disorder and severe social anxiety, which she said affected every part of her life.

“I struggle to sleep, my physical health has suffered, and there are days when even basic tasks feel overwhelming.”

She said panic attacks and hypervigilance were constant reminders of the trauma.

“I no longer move through life with confidence and ease. I carry fear with me everywhere. The emotional toll has been exhausting and relentless.

Justice Christine Grice says Shannan Joseph Taylor's history shows a "serious and persistent pattern of sexual offending". Photo / Bevan Conley

“I have had to rebuild my life from the ground up, slowly and painfully, while carrying trauma that never truly leaves.”

The second victim described herself as a confident, motivated, independent and joyful woman before the rape.

“After the rape, that version of me disappeared.”

She told the court her mental health deteriorated, daily life became difficult, and she experienced overwhelming anxiety and exhaustion.

Being in her home, where the rape occurred, had become unbearable, she said.

Her alcohol use escalated “dramatically” as she tried to “numb the pain”, and her relationships also suffered.

“It has dismantled a stable and independent life and replaced it with fear, isolation and ongoing trauma.”

No regret or insight

At the time Taylor, now in his mid-40s, offended against the women, he was already facing prosecution for multiple sexual offences against several other victims. .

For the earlier offending, he was sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment on more than 20 charges, some of which were representative.

At the recent sentencing, Justice Grice said Taylor’s history showed a “serious and persistent pattern of sexual offending” that began when he was 21.

She described it as “gravely concerning” and that it involved physical and psychological coercion.

In setting a sentencing starting point of 12-and-a-half years’ imprisonment, Justice Grice took into account the scale of Taylor’s recent offending, the breach of trust and the victims’ vulnerability, the significant and enduring harm caused, and the presence of violence.

She then applied 10% credit for Taylor’s background, which involved significant hardship, abuse and deprivation, according to reports provided to the court.

He began using cannabis and alcohol as a child and continued as an adult, and also used methamphetamine.

Taylor, who developed literacy in adulthood, completed a painting and decorating apprenticeship and once owned a business, and has not been diagnosed with any physical or mental health conditions.

 But Justice Grice said he experienced anxiety and one report writer considered an assessment for psychopathy may be appropriate in the future.

A clinical psychologist said while Taylor purported to accept responsibility for his offending, he framed it in a way that blamed external factors, including intoxication and the victims’ behaviour.

There was no suggestion that Taylor held any regret for his offending nor did he show any insight into the impacts on the victims, the psychologist reported.

Risk remains but rehab still possible

While the discount resulted in a sentence of 11 years and three months, Justice Grice needed to consider the length of the sentence Taylor was already serving.

An adjustment for totality reduced the sentence to six years, which was imposed cumulatively, bringing his overall sentence to 22 years.

No minimum period of imprisonment was set, with Justice Grice finding it would serve no practical purpose given the length of the combined sentence and the role of the Parole Board.

The Crown sought preventive detention, citing Taylor’s long history of sexual offending and the risk he could reoffend.

But while Justice Grice accepted Taylor was currently a risk of serious reoffending, she found his rehabilitative prospects had not yet been exhausted, declining to impose the indeterminate sentence.

“It has barely started. You are at the beginning of the process of pursuing rehabilitation,” she said.

“As long as you engage, genuinely and without ulterior motive, in the programmes that may be offered to you, the risk you pose to women and girls is likely to reduce.”

Taylor will become eligible for parole after serving one-third of his 22-year sentence.

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 support@safetotalk.nz
• 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.

Tara Shaskey is an assistant editor and reporter for the Open Justice team. She joined NZME in 2022 and has worked as a journalist since 2014.