KEY POINTS:
A Gisborne teacher accused of sexually abusing schoolgirls has pleaded guilty to 11 of the 16 charges against him in a sudden turn in his trial at the Napier District Court.
The admissions by 30-year-old Stephen Michael Shone came yesterday, on the third afternoon of his trial involving allegations by five Gisborne girls, aged 13 to 16 years at the time offences are said to have been committed.
Shone, who is also a music tutor, had denied all of the charges but with four of the complainants having given evidence, he pleaded guilty to five of seven charges of indecent assault, three of four charges of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection, both charges of performing indecent acts and one of two charges of having unlawful sexual connection.
Crown prosecutors Steve Manning and Jo Rielly withdrew one charge of rape, one of sexual violation, one of indecent assault, and one of unlawful sexual connection.
Offences with all four who had given evidence were admitted as the charges were read about 3.30pm.
But the trial before Judge Mike Behrens, QC, and a jury of six men and six women will continue today, with Shone continuing to deny a single charge relating to the fifth complainant, alleging indecent assault.
He claims there was no indecency with her, but he had conceded through defence counsel Adam Simperingham on Monday there had been contact of a sexual nature with three of the girls.
Scenes where offences were said to have occurred included a motel unit while a complainant's mother was in another room, a classroom at Gisborne Intermediate School, and lookout sites in Gisborne.
Shone had exchanged more than 2000 text messages with one of the girls from when she was 13, many in the middle of the night, and most of a sexual or relationship nature.
- NZPA
