The Crown is to seek an indefinite prison sentence for a Christchurch labourer who today admitted sex attacks on two Christchurch schoolgirls.
Christopher Dean Matthews, 44, was due for jury trial next week but days of discussions led to his five guilty pleas at a pre-trial session before Judge Raoul Neave in Christchurch District Court this morning, the Christchurch Court News website reported.
Prosecutor Kerryn Beaton indicated she would seek an open-ended sentence of preventive detention to be imposed. Matthews was remanded until February 19 when he will be sentenced or sent to the High Court, which has the power to impose preventive detention.
The families of the two victims, aged 13 and 15, were in court to hear Matthews plead guilty.
Matthews admitted attacking the 15-year-old girl with intent to commit sexual violation, detaining her to have sexual connection, and violating her with his finger.
He admitted stupefying or rendering a 13-year-old girl unconscious two weeks after the first attack, and having unlawful sexual connection by penetration with some part of his body.
Miss Beaton said the older girl was walking to a bus stop when Matthews attacked her outside Christchurch South Intermediate School.
He grabbed her from behind, around the neck in a choker hold, and held a hand over her mouth when she screamed. He knocked out one of her teeth in the struggle.
He forced her into the school grounds and down behind some bushes, and she managed to bite one of his fingers. She asked him not to hurt her.
He told her to look away, choked her again, and violated her.
She had a swollen jaw, missing tooth, bruises, and abrasions on many parts of her body. Blood on her clothing - apparently from the bite on Matthews' finger - identified him.
When police interviewed him, he said: "Maybe your DNA's wrong. It doesn't sound right to me." He said he had never been in the school grounds.
He went into a house and attacked the 13-year-old girl, choking her to the point of unconsciousness and then attacking her sexually. He was sweating profusely when police spoke to him soon after and he had scratches on his face.
The girl received bruising to the forehead, haemorrhages to both eyes, and bruising to the chest, upper back, and foot.
DNA identified him again.
