Three-time Christchurch rapist who spiked women’s drinks now back in community, less than two years after he was jailed

Thursday, 4 June 2026

A man who drugged two women with sedative-laced vodka before raping them in their own beds is back in the community after being released from prison this week.

George Murphy Starling, 37, was released from Rolleston Prison on Tuesday after the New Zealand Parole Board concluded he no longer posed an undue risk to the community.

Starling was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment in July 2024 after a jury convicted him of raping two women in Christchurch in 2011.

The women, who were flatmates, had returned home from a 21st birthday party to find Starling already at their house. He had brought what he described as a pre-mixed bottle of vodka.

Evidence at trial showed the alcohol had been laced with a stupefying substance. Both women became severely impaired shortly after drinking it.

One woman later told the court she could barely walk and felt as though the room was going sideways before going to bed. Starling later entered her room and raped her. The second woman was also raped after becoming incapacitated.

At sentencing, Judge Mark Callaghan said the offending was premeditated and noted Starling had arrived at the flat carrying alcohol infused with a drug.

“These rapes took place inside their own home. They were entitled to feel safe and secure in their own beds,” the judge said.

One victim told the court the offending had changed her life forever.

“Thirteen years later I am still trying to piece back parts of me,” she said.

The convictions were Starling’s second and third for rape.

Five months after the attacks on the flatmates, he raped another woman. He was convicted by a jury and sentenced in 2013 to five years’ imprisonment. He was released on parole in 2015.

The complaints relating to the two flatmates emerged years later and charges were laid in 2020.

The Parole Board, at a hearing in May, noted Starling spent about nine years living in Christchurch without offending, before he returned to prison following his 2024 convictions. It noted Corrections did not recommend any further treatment, and that he had strong community support and employment available.

The board found Starling was no longer an undue risk to the community and approved his release.

Starling told the board he now understood consent - or the absence of consent - was a significant issue in his offending and that he must communicate and ensure consent was given during sexual encounters.

Starling remains subject to parole conditions until May 2030, including restrictions on contact with victims, requirements to disclose intimate relationships and conditions relating to alcohol and drugs.