Man guilty of raping two teenagers

File photo / NZ Herald

A 29-year-old man was this week convicted of choking and raping his former teenage girlfriend and, to make her jealous, raping another teenager she knew.

Kane Graham Dawson was remanded in custody for sentencing in February after being found guilty by a jury in the High Court in Rotorua of two counts of rape, injuring with intent, threatening to kill and threatening to commit grievous bodily harm, The Rotorua Daily Post reported.

He was also found guilty of attempting to dissuade one of the girls from giving evidence.

The court was told the case centred on "jealousy, obsession, control and revenge".

Dawson raped the first girl, aged 16, whom he had once had a short-term relationship with, in her own home, threatened to kill her and choked her until she passed out.

He cut off a "chunk" of her hair before stealing her cellphone and leaving, warning her not to tell anyone.

Two days later he took the 17-year-old second girl to a beach and raped her at knifepoint.

Defence counsel Roger Gowing told the jury in his closing argument that the girls' evidence couldn't be relied on.

- NZPA