A Wanganui District Court jury found a Wanganui man guilty of seven historic sexual charges against three sisters yesterday.
The man, who has interim name suppression, had pleaded not guilty to 11 charges (10 sexual charges and one charge of assault).
He was found not guilty on four charges (three sexual and the charge of assault).
The charges all happened between 25 and 35 years ago, when the sisters were under 12 years old.
The man was found guilty on a charge of rape of a girl under 12, five indecent assaults of a girl under 12 and two charges of attempted rape of a girl under 12 all between 1976 and 1981.
He was found not guilty of one charge of assault and three charges of indecent assault.
The trial, over two weeks, had been before Judge Michael Radford and a jury of eight women and three men with Crown prosecutor Harry Mallilieu and defence counsel John Rowan.
In summing up, Judge Radford told the jury the similarities and pattern in the charges between the three sisters had to be considered carefully.
There were also matters of delay, and there had been a substantial delay in this case of 25 to 30 years, he said.
"One of the consequences of the delay has meant the accused has been unable to bring strong rebuttal evidence."
"However, you must put all thoughts of prejudice and sympathy out of your mind.
"You must consider all the evidence and consider each of the 11 counts separately.
Judge Radford said that, in effect, [the jurors] were listening to 11 trials, as each charge represented a trial in itself.
"Consider each charge very carefully," he said.
The 11-strong jury returned its seven guilty and four not guilty verdicts in four hours, 45 minutes.
As the verdicts were delivered, the man stood unwavering in the dock but his wife, sitting with a friend in the gallery, shuddered with sobs as the first guilty verdicts were read out.
The man, who has been remanded in custody, is due to be sentenced on Tuesday, December 2 at the Wanganui District Court.
Even though Mr Rowan said the man had a precarious health condition, Judge Radford said a remand in custody was the only option.
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