A former teacher jailed for sexually abusing a pupil has lost a bid to overturn her convictions.
Stacey Reriti's conviction stays, but her jail term is nine months shorter. Photo: Pool picture
A jury convicted Stacey Reriti on seven charges of sexually abusing the boy. She was jailed for 10 and a half years in 2015.
She began an intimate relationship with the boy when he was 10. She gave him a cellphone and they sent each other sexually explicit pictures.
When the child was 12 Reriti took him to a Paraparaumu motel where they had sex.
Earlier this month she told the Court of Appeal her lawyer, Stephen Iorns, did not give her proper instructions before trial.
Mr Iorns presented emails and other evidence of his interactions with Reriti.
In today's judgment, the Court of Appeal said on crucial matters, documentary evidence supported Mr Iorns' account.
"Where Mr Iorns' evidence conflicted with that of Ms Reriti, we have a clear preference for his evidence and accept it."
The Court said it found Reriti's evidence confused and at times inconsistent.
"Her memory of events was selective in that she had no difficulty remembering details favourable to her position, but had convenient memory lapses on matters that did not support her case."
"Her evidence she did not read or understand the significance of the sentence indication and did not read instructions she signed is simply implausible and we reject it."
The court granted Reriti's appeal against her sentence, reducing her jail term from 10 years and six months to nine years and nine months.
