Truck driver Shamsher Singh (Source: NZ Herald)

A married father of two in New Zealand has been jailed for six years and nine months after raping a woman he met on a dating app while driving late-night freight.Indian-origin Shamsher Singh, 33, attacked the victim inside the cab of his commercial truck while it was parked on an isolated stretch of highway between Nelson and Blenheim, the NZ Herald reports.Singh was found guilty of rape and sexual assault. Despite the medical evidence and the guilty verdict, Singh has denied any wrongdoing.The incident occurred in January 2024 when the pair connected online and met for lunch in Nelson. Upon learning that the woman’s father was a truck driver, Singh invited her to accompany him on a commercial delivery during the night. The victim accepted the invitation because her memories of traveling with her father as a child made her feel safe around trucks.The attack occurred during the return leg of the journey in the early hours of the morning. The victim was sleeping on a bed inside the vehicle when Singh stopped in the remote Rai valley and immediately attacked him.When the woman protested, Singh told her, “F***, I’m horny, let’s do it,” before pinning her down and forcing himself on her.Crown prosecutor Sophie O’Donoghue said the victim was vulnerable, noting that she was trapped in a completely isolated area and had no means of escape. O’Donoghue said Singh ignored the woman’s distress and later attempted to avoid blame by claiming the victim had a choice and could have escaped sooner.After the attack, Singh drove back to the Nelson Freight Depot, where the victim ran away and contacted police. Later, medical examination revealed injury marks all over his body.The woman cried in court, saying the attack had destroyed her sense of security and ruined her childhood memories. Addressing Singh directly, she said, “You stole from me the happy memories of when you held me and raped me. You made me feel disgusted and ashamed and I blamed myself for what happened and for getting into your truck.”When sentencing Judge Harrop said that responsibility for the crime rested solely with the criminal. He also said that Singh did not participate in restorative justice, did not apologize and showed no remorse, so he did not receive a normal sentence reduction.Defense lawyer Paul Borich, KC, said the attack was an “unusual event” for Singh, pointing to his steady work record and support from his family and the South Island branch of the New Zealand Sikh Society. He also said that Singh’s wife still supports him despite his impact on the family.Judge Harrop imposed an initial sentence of eight years in prison. He then reduced it slightly for Singh’s previous good character and by 10% for the financial and emotional hardship the prison sentence would cause to his wife and two young children.Singh received a final sentence of six years and nine months for rape, with a concurrent sentence of two years for sexual assault