Christchurch man John Hope Muchirahondo is guilty of raping eight women and injuring others

Today a jury asked a question shortly after resuming work following the weekend’s adjournment – ten days after they retired to begin deliberations and in the tenth week of the trial.

They then informed the court that they were ready to announce the verdicts.

The six women and six men found Muchirahondo guilty of 11 counts of rape.

He was found not guilty on four counts and the jury was hung on the remaining four counts, meaning they could not make a decision.

They found Muchirahondo guilty of six counts of sexual assault.

They acquitted him on two other charges and could not decide on the final case.

He was also found guilty in connection with the cell phone charge.

A rape charge was dismissed during the trial.

The verdicts were read out in court today before 1 p.m.

Some of the women who complained about Muchirahondo and testified in court were in court to hear the jury’s decision.

Judge Lisa Preston withheld sentencing for 40 minutes to allow police to contact the other victims and complainants to inform them of the decision on the charges affecting them.

After they announced the verdicts, Judge Preston dismissed the jurors, thanked them for their service, and informed them that they would not have to serve again for another ten years.

The 36-year-old Zimbabwean has been on trial before a jury and Judge Preston since July 29, accused of raping or abusing 15 women over a 12-year period.

He met some in bars or at parties. He knew others socially or as friends. Several were former partners.

The High Court in Christchurch heard that in many cases the alleged crime was filmed or photographed by the defendant.

He denied all allegations and claimed any sexual activity with any of the women was consensual.

In some cases, he claimed he was misidentified and had no connection to the women.

As the verdicts were read out in court, Muchirahondo stood in the dock with his hands folded in front of him. He did not respond to the jury.

Last week he sat in court and wrote notes about some of the women while Judge Preston summarized to the jury the allegations surrounding them.

He was also seen reading from several Bibles and taking notes.

Muchirahondo will be sentenced this year.

Judge Preston ordered several pre-sentence reports to be prepared before that date.

Prosecutor Claire Boshier also requested a report on the preventive detention – an indefinite prison sentence – for the now-convicted serial rapist.

Judge Preston remanded him in custody pending sentencing.

For a single charge of rape, the maximum sentence is 20 years.

After the verdict, Detective Inspector Nicola Reeves, who led the investigation into the serial rapist, praised the “significant courage and strength shown by the many complainants in this case”.

“Sharing their experiences with the police and throughout the court process required determination and courage,” she said.

“Her memories have been attacked and attempts have been made to discredit her account. They have withstood the challenges and had their voices heard. They should be incredibly proud of their actions and I hope these sentences bring some measure of peace and closure.

“I would also like to acknowledge the professionalism and tenacity of the Crown’s investigative team and prosecutors and thank them for their tireless work on this case.”

“And finally, I would like to thank the members of the jury for their careful attention and advice throughout this process.”

Reeves said results from the Ministry of Justice’s 2023 Crime and Victims Survey estimated more than one in three New Zealand women would experience one or more incidents of sexual assault during their lifetime.

“I encourage any person who needs advice or wants to report a sexual assault to contact the police,” she said.

Anna Leask is a Christchurch-based reporter covering national crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2008 and has worked as a journalist for 18 years, with a particular focus on family and gender-based violence, child abuse, sexual violence, homicide, mental health and juvenile crime. She writes, hosts and produces the award-winning podcast “A Moment In Crime,” published monthly on nzherald.co.nz