WARNING: This article deals with sexual violence and may upset readers.

A man who sexually violated and raped a woman over three years and continues transferring blame to his victim has been jailed for seven and a half years.

Terrance Stephens, 57, of Pawarenga in the Far North, was sentenced in the Whangārei District Court before Judge Taryn Bayley after pleading guilty to two charges of rape and one of unlawful sexual connection.

The court heard the violations happened at least nine times to a victim who had medical issues that he was aware of.

Defence lawyer Jarred Scott said Stephens’ offending was linked to an attitude of entitlement that was demonstrated to him as a child but was hopeful he could be totally rehabilitated in custody.

Sentencing reports prepared for court reported Stephens was raised in an environment where sexual, psychological and physical abuse was normalised on vulnerable women in his household.

Judge Bayley was concerned Stephens had not had any support or intervention to deal with his trauma over the years.

“The fact you are a victim yourself does not excuse what you did. You have little insight into your offending and that is a real concern,” Judge Bayley said.

“I consider the last episode of offending as particularly degrading and demeaning. She was a vulnerable victim, in her own home, where she was entitled to feel safe.”

In a victim impact statement referred to in court, the victim described herself as feeling “worthless”, suffering from insomnia and having experienced such significant trauma, it had interfered with her daily life.

“This was a course of conduct that continued for some time. It was premeditated and involved forethought for every situation you violated,” Judge Bayley said.

Judge Bayley began at a starting point of 12 years imprisonment but gave Stephens a 35 per cent discount for an early guilty plea and acknowledgment of the effects of his upbringing.

His end sentence was seven and a half years imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of four years.

“Hopefully you will get the treatment you need so you can develop some insight into your offending,” Judge Bayley said.