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Allegations of Sexual
Abuse in NZ |
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A man accused of raping his former
girlfriend has been found not guilty on that charge but guilty of threatening
to kill her. Palmerston North District Court
had earlier heard a tape recording made by the complainant in which Trevor
Ernest Connolly appeared to admit that what he had done was wrong. The jury returned its verdicts on
Thursday night. As the guilty verdict was read out, Connolly, of Palmerston
North, looked shaken. In the public gallery his daughter and other supporters
wept. An excited gasp greeted the not
guilty verdict and there were hugs and handshakes all round. The complainant said Connolly had
raped her after a campaign of harassment. Connolly's lawyer, Mike Antunovic,
argued that the rape accusation was made up to deny Connolly access to the
son he shared with the complainant. Judge Les Atkins said the charge
he was found guilty of was "not a charge of significance or
seriousness" compared with the rape charge, and freed him on bail.
Sentencing is on September 15. |
