22 Nov 2017

Teenage kidnapping jury retires

5:49 pm on 22 November 2017

The jury has retired in the case of two police officers accused of kidnapping a teenager.

The young man, who was 17, at the the time says the officers searched him, put him in a cell and told him if he didn't move to Australia to get away from his underage girlfriend he would be charged with statutory rape.

Hurimoana Dennis and Vaughn Perry have pleaded not guilty to the charges in the High Court in Auckland.

Mr Dennis' defence lawyer Stephen Bonnar said the boy knew all along that he was only going to the cells for a visit, as part of a choices and consequences conversation that was had about his relationship with his 15-year-old girlfriend.

Justice Edin Wylie summed up the case today after two weeks of evidence, reminding the jury to consider all evidence when establishing whether or not the two men are guilty beyond reasonable doubt.