A man who threatened and rapes his spouse and another woman last year in an empty basement in Port Vila has been found guilty of 12 criminal charges.

The other woman whom the court only referred to as AG testified that she only communicated with the offender on Facebook and they only met physically once before the incident.

According to evidence from AG and the offender’s spouse whom the court only referred to as LT, the incident happen at Seven Star area.

In a Supreme Court Judgment handed down on October 9, the offender was found guilty of 2 charges of domestic violence, 1 sexual intercourse without consent charge committed on his spouse, another one committed jointly on both his spouse and AG, 1 act of indecency without consent and one threats to kill on both women.

Prior to trial he entered pleas of guilty to 4 charges including domestic violence, intentional assault causing permanent injury, escape lawful custody, and intentional assault.

Some of the charges were from a separate incident in 2023 when the offender assaulted his spouse and committed sexual intercourse on her using a knife without her consent.

The court was told that the offender allegedly videoed the sexual act.

It was noted in the verdict that even after the 2023 incident, LT delayed making a complaint against the offender because she “loved him, as she explained, that is why she went back to him”.

“She thought she could change him. LT also said that she would go back to him because of the threats to kill her and burn her family’s house down.”

According to information from the verdict, the 2024 incident started when the offender and AG were at the basement when his spouse showed up.

He had a knife with him which he used to threaten the two women prohibiting then from leaving while he commits the offences.