Paris Howe Strewe played Rohan prince Théodred in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Photo / Supplied
Paris Howe Strewe played Rohan prince Théodred in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Photo / Supplied
An Auckland-based Lord of the Rings actor who played a Rohan prince in Sir Peter Jackson’s blockbuster film trilogy faces up to 20 years in prison after being convicted of child sex offences.
Paris Howe Strewe, 48, of Titirangi, was found guilty of fourcharges last week after a jury trial at Auckland District Court.
Howe Strewe appeared in the trilogy’s second film, The Two Towers, in which he played Théodred, prince of Rohan.
The Herald has confirmed that Howe Strewe was charged with sexual offending against two children in January 2022, though a charge relating to one victim was subsequently withdrawn.
He pleaded not guilty. His first trial was abandoned in June last year when the jury could not reach a verdict. A retrial commenced last week on the remaining four charges.
A summary of facts obtained by the Herald shows his victim was a 10-year-old girl.
On May 1, 2021, she was attending a friend’s birthday party in Laingholm and was playing with other children at the rear of the property near a fire pit.
Howe Strewe sat next to her and indecently assaulted her multiple times, the summary says. The victim told Howe Strewe to stop and moved away from him.
The next day she visited Howe Strewe’s Titirangi home for a play-date with his stepchildren.
Paris Howe Strewe played Rohan prince Théodred, who was the only son and heir of King Théoden.
She was sitting on a couch playing video games with another child when Howe Strewe entered the lounge and sat on the couch between the two children, obstructing the other child’s view.
He sexually violated the victim, telling her, “Don’t tell anyone,” the summary says.
She told her family what had occurred when she arrived home the next day and police were alerted.
Howe Strewe found guilty on all charges, remanded on bail for sentencing
Howe Strewe, who is now a carpenter and had not appeared in court previously, declined to comment when spoken to by police.
He was charged with three representative counts of indecently assaulting a child aged under 12, and one of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection.
A fifth charge of sexual conduct involving another alleged victim aged under 16 was withdrawn.
Howe Strewe defended the four remaining charges last week but was found guilty on all counts.
He was remanded on bail for sentencing in November and could be jailed for up to 20 years.
Howe Strewe's character Prince Théodred was killed in the First Battle of the Fords of Isenin.
The Herald approached Howe Strewe’s defence lawyer John Munro to ask if his client wished to comment.
Munro asked about the Herald’s interest in the case. Reporting on Howe Strewe’s sexual offending on the basis of his minor role in the JRR Tolkien epic was “pretty thin”, Munro suggested.
He would not comment further without instructions from his client.
Howe Strewe’s 2002 role as Théodred is his only known appearance in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Film website IMDB says he also worked as a lighting and camera assistant on the Niko Caro-directed feature film Memory & Desire, which starred Norman Forsey, who also appeared in The Lord of the Rings as Hamfast Gamgee (The Gaffer), father of Samwise Gamgee.
Former Lord of the Rings actor barricaded rental property and cut water supply
Meanwhile, a Tenancy Tribunal decision shows Howe Strewe also ran into legal trouble as a landlord.
He was ordered to pay his tenant $1500 after entering the Titirangi property he owned in August 2019 following an argument over unpaid rent and barricading the bedroom and bathroom doors.
Howe Strewe then moved the tenant’s possessions into the lounge, cut the water supply and left an “unpleasant note” on the door frame.
The tribunal said Howe Strewe’s actions undermined the tenant’s right to the quiet enjoyment of the rental property.
It also found Howe Strewe’s actions amounted to harassment aimed at forcing the tenant to leave.
“The tribunal takes such behaviour seriously and I am satisfied the landlord’s actions amount to an unlawful act.”
Lane Nichols is Deputy Head of News and a senior journalist for the New Zealand Herald with more than 20 years’ experience in the industry.
