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One of the men accused of raping a woman in Mount Maunganui 17 years ago has pleaded guilty to her abduction, ending his retrial.
Warren Hales, along with Mount Maunganui businessman Peter McNamara and two other men whose identities are suppressed, was last year convicted for abducting and raping the then 20-year-old victim.
Hales' appeal for a retrial succeeded this year, and the retrial was to have taken place this month.
He today pleaded guilty to abducting the victim.
The Crown has accepted that the abduction charge ends the case against Hales.
Justice Ronald Young today accepted Hales was the least culpable of the group.
He was the youngest and had not been involved in the premeditation of the attack.
However he had stood lookout and had prevented the victim from escaping.
He was sentenced to 18 months' prison and ordered to pay $10,000 in emotional harm reparation.
- NZPA
