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A taxi driver who raped a woman he picked up in Wellington early one morning last year has been jailed for 11 years.
In Wellington District Court today Judge Susan Thomas sentenced Abdirazak Yussuf Mussa, 55, of suburban Miramar, to 11 years in prison for two counts of rape and one of abduction with intent to sexually violate.
Mussa pleaded not guilty to all charges, but was found guilty by a jury last month.
In September last year Mussa picked up the woman, who has name suppression, on Courtenay Place around 5.30am.
At the time of the attack the woman was 18.
Instead of driving her home, he took her to his own house where he locked the front door with a deadbolt before raping her twice.
Judge Thomas said if this was not bad enough the woman later found out Mussa was HIV positive.
Crown lawyer Tom Gilbert said the woman's world had collapsed after she had found out the man who had raped her had Aids, and it was a "hellish living" wait to see if she had been affected.
Mussa's lawyer, Sandy Baigent, said Mussa had been responsible with his health status and had used condoms.
Judge Thomas said Mussa had abused the woman's trust, she was now on medication for depression, could not hold down a job and had lost her "spark".
She said it had also affected the taxi industry because he breached her trust that morning.
Judge Thomas said Mussa had not been remorseful and had maintained it had been consensual sex.
The woman's family cried during parts of the sentencing.
- NZPA
