A Wellington taxi driver has gone on trial for the second time for the rape a young female passenger.

Abdirazak Yussaf Mussa pleaded not guilty in Wellington District Court yesterday to raping the 18-year-old at his home in September 2006.

The crown said that he picked her up in Wellington after she had been to a birthday party.

But instead of taking her home he drove to his house where he raped her twice.

His lawyer Donald Stevens QC told the jury that the woman agreed to go with Mussa to his home and what happened afterwards was with her consent.

- NZPA