A Christchurch man who conducted his own trial defence was sentenced to preventive detention at the High Court in Christchurch today for abducting and raping a 17-year-old woman.
Jason John Cumming, 29, was last month found guilty of those and other related charges.
The prosecution said his victim was held prisoner at
Cumming's Riccarton, Christchurch, flat last October, chained up and repeatedly raped and sexually abused over eight days.
During the trial Cumming cross-examined the 18 year-old victim over several days.
Cumming had four lawyers assigned to him in the year before the trial. He dismissed all of them, saying that they were not carrying out the inquiries that he asked them to make.
After his conviction, Associate Justice Minister Lianne Dalziel said law changes to prevent people charged with sexual offences being allowed to cross-examine alleged victims would go before cabinet before the end of the year.
- NZPA
