71-year-old former Porirua man found guilty of historical rapes after 13-hour jury deliberation

A jury sent out around 1.30pm on Tuesday are still deliberating this evening on whether 71-year-old Raymond Bradley raped and indecently assaulted two Porirua girls 50 to 60 years ago. Photo / 123RF

A 71-year-old man has been found guilty of historic rape charges from the 60s.

One of his victims said she was able to move on with her life "at long last" now that Raymond Bradley had been found guilty on a number of rapes and indecent assaults against two Porirua girls 50-60 years ago.

A jury of seven men and four women deliberated for about 13 hours over two days in the Wellington District Court on the charges.

Victims and family members took deep breaths and shed tears in the public gallery as the verdicts were read just before 8om.

Bradley showed no emotion as the foreperson read out the decision.

After the sentencing, one of the victims told the Herald she finally had closure on incidents that had haunted her for decades.

"We're no longer scared of him," she said through her tears, as other supporters hugged each other and cried.

"It's been a big cloud over our heads forever and it's like it's been lifted."

Bradley is guilty ofn four counts of rape, two of indecent assault, three of performing an indecent act, and one of inducing a girl to perform an indecent act on him. He was found not guilty of one indecent assault and one rape.

During the trial, which began on Monday last week, jurors heard Bradley offended against both girls on a number of occasions between 1960 and 1972. The earliest charge is dated between 1960 and 1961, when the complainant was about 7 or 8 years old, and Bradley would have been 13 or 14.

Bradley moved to the US when he was a young man and lived there permanently until a few years ago when he moved back to New Zealand.

Upon finding out he was living in New Zealand again, the victims contacted police about the historical allegations.

Defence lawyer Wayne McKean said in his closing address to the jury on Monday that Bradley did have sex with the second complainant, but it was consensual. The jury's did not find this to be true.

Judge Denys Barry convicted Bradley and remanded him on bail a Whangarei address until May 28 for sentencing.