A man who raped two teenage schoolgirls, one after the other, in a Palmerston North lodging house two years ago was today jailed for 10 years.
Patrick Hare Rehu, who was 29 at the time, denied the charges but was convicted by a jury in August of raping both girls, then 14, and supplying cannabis to one of them.
Another man, Kerry Alexander Wilson, who admitted raping one of the girls and sexually violating the other straight after Rehu had raped them, was jailed for eight yearsin 2009.
Sentencing Rehu in Wellington District Court today, Judge Chris Tuohy described how the victims had been drinking vodka, supplied by Wilson, after bunking off school on June 19, 2008.
Rehu was on his way out to get takeaways, but went into the room where the two girls were "grossly intoxicated", and one was naked.
Within about 10 minutes, he had raped both of them, in front of their girlfriend and Wilson. After Rehu left, Wilson raped one of them again and attempted to rape the second one before being interrupted by the hotel manager, who called the police.
By then, both girls were "comatose", Judge Tuohy said.
Judge Tuohy said Rehu appeared to have no insight or remorse for his actions, which were aggravated by the age and vulnerability of the girls. He sentenced him to 10 years for each rape, to be served concurrently, and one month for supplying a joint to one of the girls.
