Tauranga woman takes private prosecution against attacker

It's been described as a landmark case - a Tauranga woman who took a private prosecution to get justice against a man who brutally attacked her.

On Thursday - almost seven years after that attack - justice was served.

It was a Tuesday afternoon in Tauranga in July 2010 when Tamsin Trainor met a man on a bus who she later saw again in a bar.

After that they decided to walk to a domain to drink and smoke. But here it took a nasty twist.

"[He] started punching me in the right side of my head and as he knocked me down he got on top me and choked me with his other hand while still punching me," Ms Trainor says.

She eventually lost consciousness. When she woke up she tried to run across the domain to get some help.

But she fell over and realised she wasn't going to make it. So she went another way - she jumped over a bank and onto the motorway where she flagged down a passing vehicle.

The man who attacked her - Neihana Rangitonga - was initially charged and acquitted of rape. A charge of wounding with intent was dropped.

Ms Trainor desperately wanted justice so teamed up with Shannon Parker from the New Zealand Police Conduct Association and launched a private prosecution.

"Couldn't let it go - it's caused so many problems - so much stress," she says.

On Thursday after years of fighting they finally had their day in court.

Rangitonga pleaded guilty and was convicted of "injuring with intent to injure".

"I'm very happy for Tamsin.  I'm very happy that justice has finally been served.  Very happy to see it coming to an end," says Ms Parker.

Ms Trainor's lawyer Craig Tuck says this is a landmark case.

"I've not heard of a case like this and I've been working in criminal justice for 30 years.  At the heart of it is somebody that was trying to seek justice for a situation that seemed to be brutal in the extreme," Mr Tuck says.

Ms Trainor is now focusing her attention on her new baby, which is due on Friday.

Newshub.