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Offender Databases Layton Thorne

Layton John Thorne

Alias

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Offences

Rape of a 19 year old Christchurch woman in October 2006, also kidnapped a second teenage woman several months earlier but she escaped.

Victims

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Offender Affiliations

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Gang affiliations

none known

Age

Born 1975

Current Location

Prison

Parole/Release Dates

Sentenced to 8 years 3 months in November 2007

Background
The Press (Christchurch), October 30th 2007
A teenage rape victim was abandoned half-clothed and traumatised in a New Brighton car park, a court has been told. In the Christchurch District Court yesterday, Layton John Thorne admitted a charge of rape. The offence took place a year ago yesterday. Prosecutor Catherine Butchard said that on October 29, 2006, Thorne, 31, was driving his station wagon in central Christchurch when he spotted the 19-year- old in Colombo Street, and offered her a lift.

She accepted, saying she wanted to go to New Brighton. Once there, Thorne stopped in a car park, where he forcibly removed her pants and forced her to have sex against her protests. She got out of the car distressed and Thorne drove away. He was remanded in custody to November 15 for sentence in a Crown list by Judge Gary MacAskill.

The Press (Christchurch), 22nd November 2007
For a year, a sexual predator cruised central Christchurch's early morning streets looking for solitary girls who needed a ride home.

Layton John Thorne would offer them lifts but he admits his motive was to find sex partners for the night. His plan eventually went awry twice and he stood ashamed at the Christchurch District Court as Judge Michael Crosbie jailed him for eight years and three months. The judge acknowledged Thorne's two teenage victims in the courtroom, telling the 31-year-old predator: "Both of them should feel no blame or shame about what occurred because all of the blame and all of the shame rests with you." One dived out of Thorne's car as he drove it along Wainoni Road at about 50km/h.

Thorne raped the other one in the car at Waimairi Beach seven months later. A jury found him guilty of attempting to kidnap the first young woman, and he then pleaded guilty to raping the second one, before the second trial began a week later. Both young women had been picked up in the central city as late as 5.30am.

"It is an increasingly common theme to see young women who have been picked up in the early hours of the morning when they are often looking for ways to get home, and they are taken advantage of," the judge said.

"If any good comes out of this process, I hope it is a salutary reminder to those in our community that they must always be watchful for those who seek and prey on those who appear vulnerable or drunk or in need of a hand."

He said one young woman had been left permanently scarred by the grazes she received when she dived from the moving car. She was now nervous, worried, and uncomfortable around strangers and found it difficult to trust people.

The other 19-year-old woman had been raped and had been worried about the possibility of pregnancy or sexual transmitted disease. She had since felt disgusted, sad, lonely and emotional. She had horrific nightmares and flashbacks, and was mistrustful.

"You have significantly and violently and grossly affected the lives of two young women who will never forget what you did to them," the judge said. Defence counsel Stephen Hembrow said Thorne was remorseful and expressed his apologies to the victims and their families.

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Corrections and Additional Information
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