Mistrial declared in Kaiapoi rape trial

A mistrial has been declared in a rape trial that began before a Christchurch District Court jury last week.

The defendant, Benjovi Channi Toa, 33, has been remanded on bail for a pre-trial callover on May 13, when a new trial date may be set.

Toa denies two charges of rape and four charges of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection of a woman he had not met before, at a party at a Kaiapoi house in July 2020.

The trial had been scheduled to continue before Judge Mark Callaghan and a jury until about Wednesday this week.

-By David Clarkson
Open Justice multimedia journalist