A suppression order has been lifted by the High Court in Dunedin, revealing that a South Otago murder victim was present during the alleged rape of a 15-year-old girl, two weeks before his death.
Michael Hutchings, 18, was fatally stabbed last January by his flatmate Christopher Wayne Patterson.
At a trial last year, Patterson was convicted of Mr Hutchings' murder. His partner Nichole Field, who helped dump the body in the Clutha River, was convicted of being an accessory after the fact.
The pair were also jointly charged with raping a 15-year-old girl, but the complainant decided not to pursue the matter after they were jailed over Mr Hutchings' death.
However in her statement to police, the girl said Michael Hutchings was in the room when Nichole Field held her down and Wayne Patterson raped her.
She said Mr Hutchings was extremely drunk at the time.
