Predatory rapist Luke Henry jailed on open-ended sentence for horror Christchurch attack

Luke Henry has been jailed for kidnapping and raping a Christchurch woman in her home in 2016.

A predator who kidnapped, choked and raped a woman he met on an online dating site over a horror weekend has been jailed on an open-ended sentence.

Luke James Henry, 33, denied assaulting and raping the woman at her home in September 2016.

At his High Court jury trial in Christchurch, Henry admitted choking her and putting his hands around the woman's neck on an earlier occasion.

The Crown said that two days before Henry attacked the woman, he texted an associate to say he was "off to find that lady".

He later said he was going to track down the woman and "smash her over".

The Crown said Henry took the woman's phone, detained her, and raped her twice over the weekend. They also alleged he strangled her and punched her in back of head.

The woman, who has name suppression, later told police she made it "very clear" she did not want sexual intercourse with him.

She didn't fight back, the court heard, as she didn't think it would have helped her.

At some point, she managed to phone for help.

When police officers showed up, Henry fled the scene in a car.

Police chased him at speed but the pursuit was abandoned for safety reasons.

Henry, who has 71 convictions dating back to 2003, was found two days later, arrested, and charged.

Yesterday, Justice David Gendall sentenced him to preventive detention. He will serve at least eight years and will not be eligible for parole until he's proved he is no longer a risk to the public.