A man who grabbed a young woman off a Christchurch street, dragged her into a property and raped her is facing an open-ended preventive detention sentence.
Tony Shane Tonihi, 42, has pleaded guilty to raping, sexually violating and causing grievous bodily harm to the 20-year-old victim.
In Christchurch District Court today, Judge Raoul Neave granted the crown's application to have the case sent to the High Court for preventive detention to be considered. That sentence would mean Tonihi would be kept in prison until he was no longer considered a threat.
Tonihi followed the woman as she walked home through Latimer Square, grabbed her and dragged her into a property, where he threatened to stab her if she screamed while he raped her.
When she told him he was hurting her he told her it was supposed to hurt. A nearby resident stopped the attack.
Tonihi was remanded in custody for sentencing on June 10.
- NZPA
Preventive detention sought for sex offender
File photo / NZ Herald
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