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A Southland man has been locked up for nearly 11 years after subjecting two girls to years of abuse.
Luke Vincent Guillard, 41, appeared in the Invercargill District Court on Friday and was jailed for 10 years, 10 months.
He earlier admitted two charges of an indecent act on a child, one of doing an indecent act on a young person, two of violation by unlawful sexual connection and one of rape.
The charges represented about five years of abuse to two girls.
The victims told the court how the offending impacted them.
One said she felt scared, on edge and went into a deep depression, the other felt anxiety and had nightmares about being alone with men.
Guillard was due to be sentenced in July last year after admitting the charges on the morning of his trial, the court heard.
But he later made an application to reverse his guilty pleas, but that was ultimately refused.
Judge Russell Walker noted Guillard was a shearer and was involved in a heavy drinking culture through that work but now described alcohol as his "nemesis".
The judge noted the defendant reported adversity in his upbringing, problems at school and mental-health issues.
Because of his sentence, Guillard was automatically placed on the Child Sex Offender Register.