Rape victim lured to wardrobe with promise of meth

Turei Crawford of Napier was sentenced to six and a half years' imprisonment for rape yesterday. Photo / File

A Napier man has been jailed for rape after he organised a drug-dealing rendezvous with his victim in a Housing New Zealand property.

Turei Shane Crawford, 23, appeared before Judge Geoff Rea in the Napier District Court yesterday morning to be sentenced on one charge of rape and one of supplying methamphetamine.

Crawford had pleaded guilty to supplying methamphetamine but not guilty to rape. He was found guilty last month of rape by majority verdict in a two-day trial.

The court heard that Crawford, an associate of the woman's ex-partner, contacted her through Facebook and arranged to supply her meth in an unoccupied Housing New Zealand house in Maraenui on January 14 last year.

After travelling to the address at 6.30am the woman entered the rear of the property and waited for him in a bedroom, only to have Crawford arrive with no methamphetamine.

Crawford said he needed to contact a friend and used the woman's phone until it had no battery life.

Judge Rea said that 15 minutes later the woman said she had to leave and Crawford "created a story" about police on the property.

The woman hid in a wardrobe so as not to be seen and Crawford followed and raped her.

The judge said one of the difficulties of the case was ascertaining whether the offer of methamphetamine was "genuine" or just an attempt to get the woman into the derelict building.

Defence counsel Cam Robertson said Crawford, who was 22 at the time of the rape, was not sophisticated enough to plan such a crime.

"I don't know that he had the wherewithal in regards to planning and premeditation," he said.

However Judge Rea said his conduct showed he was perfectly able to tell lies.

"It is clear nobody was there and that you used this [lie] as a device to get her into a wardrobe.

"She made clear to you that she did not want your attentions but you did not stop," he said.

Judge Rea said only Crawford would know if his offer to supply the woman methamphetamine was genuine or not.

The judge said he decided to treat the methamphetamine aspect of the crime as an aggravating factor and sentenced Crawford to six and a half years' imprisonment.

The maximum penalty for rape is 20 years.

In October last year Crawford was wanted by police after failing to return to Hawke's Bay Prison after being granted compassionate leave for a family bereavement. It's understood he was on the loose for about three weeks.

Yesterday he was convicted and discharged on the breach of bail.