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| 4.5m tall metal tui built by sex criminal Brendan Nolan for the Kapiti Coast District Council. |
The Kapiti Coast District Council originally wanted whales on poles, but that ended up being far too expensive, so they settled for a metal tui. Now the artist who made the tui has been found guilty of sexually abusing two young girls.
An artist who sexually abused two girls - one while she was shackled and the other while she slept - has been sent to prison for more than five years.
Brendan Nolan, 55, of Paekakariki, admitted sexually violating the young girls in 1999 and 2001 before his metal artworks became landmarks on the Kapiti Coast.
While he continued living his life, his victims struggled to cope with theirs.
"I can't sleep and barely eat," his second victim said in Wellington District Court yesterday.
"I don't trust anyone, I jump when people come too close and I hate it when they touch me. This man stole something from me, something I can't put into words, but I know I'll never get it back."
She had been subjected to degrading acts at Nolan's workshop while her hands were suspended from shackles and from a metal chandelier.
The first victim's mother said in a letter that having to relive the abuse for the courts had a devastating effect on her daughter.
Her daughter would stay at Nolan's house overnight and he would wait for her to fall asleep before carrying her to his bed. The abuse occurred over a two-month period.
I'll never look at that metal tui in the same way again. It should probably be taken down.
Related link: Artist gets five years for sexual violation of two young girls.