A New Zealand teacher accused of sexually abusing schoolgirls has pleaded guilty to 11 of the 16 charges against him in a sudden turn in his trial.
The admissions by 30-year-old Stephen Michael Shone in Napier's district court, in the North Island east coast region of Hawke's Bay, came late yesterday during his trial involving allegations by five Gisborne girls.
The girls were aged 13 to 16 years at the time offences are said to have been committed.
Shone, also a music tutor, had denied all of the charges. But with four of the complainants having given evidence he pleaded guilty to eight charges of indecent assault and one each of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection, one of performing an indecent act and one of unlawful sexual connection.
Crown prosecutors withdrew one charge of rape, one of sexual violation, one of indecent assault, and one of unlawful sexual connection.
Offences with all four girls who had given evidence were admitted as the charges were read about 3.30pm, with Shone's mother present in the public gallery.
But the trial before Judge Mike Behrens QC and a jury of six men and six women will continue tomorrow with Shone continuing to deny a single charge relating to the fifth complainant, alleging indecent assault.
He claims there was no indecency with that girl, but with several of the charges laid as representative of multiple offences, Shone had conceded through defence counsel in opening addresses on Monday that there had been contact of a sexual nature with three of the girls.
Scenes where offences were said to have occurred included a motel unit while a complainant's mother was in another room, another motel, a holiday home, a classroom and beachfront and lookout sites in Gisborne.
Shone had exchanged more than 2000 text messages, many of a sexual nature, with one of the girls from when she was just 13 years old. Many were sent in the middle of the night.
He told one girl he liked her body and wanted to marry her, so that they could have "beautiful musical children" together, the court was told.
