A Gisborne music teacher has been sentenced to prison for eight and a half years for sexually offending against teenage pupils.
Stephen Shone was arrested last year after five young women who took private music lessons, laid complaints that he assaulted them when they were aged between 13 and 15 years.
He pleaded not guilty at the start of a trial in Napier District Court in August to 15 charges of sexual violation and indecent assault and one of rape committed between 2003 and 2007.
But after the fourth complainant completed her evidence on the third day, Shone, 30, pleaded guilty to 11 charges.
The Crown then withdrew four other charges including the charge of rape.
A jury subsequently found him guilty on the remaining charge of indecent assault.
