The courage of one woman has seen Wellington poet Lewis Scott convicted of rape for a second time after the Court of Appeal ordered a retrial.

Scott had a trial in 2017 where he was found guilty of rape but the convictions were overturned on appeal and a new trial ordered.

Just like she had before, his victim went before 12 strangers to tell her tale.

On Monday Scott was found guilty of raping and unlawful sexual connection by a Wellington District court jury. They found him not guilty of indecent assault.

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Maarten Holl On Monday a jury found Lewis Scott guilty of unlawful sexual connection and rape and not guilty of indecent assault. (File photo)

It was just one of multiple times over 13 years that she has summoned the courage to defeat him.

When he attacked her, when she decided to go to the police, at the first trial, for a Court of Appeal hearing and now she has again gone before a jury and told them what he did to her.

In many ways her resolve is extraordinary.

The ordeal of dealing with not just the attack but the years it takes to get through the justice system, along with feelings of shame and embarrassment is more than enough to make a victim decide it is not worth it.

But every time she has stood up for herself.

KEVIN STENT/STUFF In 2017 a jury found Lewis Scott guilty of two charges of sexual violation and one of indecent assault. He was jailed for four years. The convictions were later quashed by the Court of Appeal. (File photo)

In a victim impact statement after the first trial she said she had gone through one of the most challenging and trying times of her life.

And this case has taken many years.

The original attack was in 2007. She thought it was a business meeting. Instead she arrived at his home to find the table set and champagne being poured. The talk turned to sex over dinner and she became increasingly uncomfortable.

Then he attacked. She said it happened in a split second.

During the abuse she had a moment of bravery and tricked him into loosening his hold and was able to make a run for it.

Kevin Stent Crown prosecutor Dale La Hood said the victim's case was completely at odds with Scott where everything was romantic, consensual and lovely. (File photo)

Crown prosecutor Dale La Hood said she was using her wits while he was using his strength.

A friend she told after offered to take her to the police but feeling ashamed and embarrassed, she did not want to.

Then in 2014 she read a Stuff story about a trial with another victim. Scott had raped her in his shop Kwanzaa on Manners St. She read it many times.

So the next day she went to the police.

It took until 2017 when a jury found him guilty of two charges of sexual violation and one of indecent assault. He was jailed for four years.

That jury never knew he had raped before.

But it wasn't over. Switching lawyers Scott went to the Court of Appeal, claiming a miscarriage of justice.

And she sat through that hearing, in an airless courtroom with lawyers criticising how the trial was held, that the judge did not give the jury the directions on a majority verdict correctly and whether what she remembered from 10 years before could be correct.

PETER MCINTOSH Defence lawyer Anne Stevens told the jury the victim had regretted consenting but that it was still consent and she could not rewrite history. (File photo)

The Court of Appeal focussed on how the judge's direction to the jury was wrong and the verdicts were not safely taken. It quashed the convictions and sent it back to the district court for the trial to be held again.

Another lawyer switch and Scott gets released from prison.

It was a huge blow. She had to decide if she wanted to go through it again but ultimately she decided to do it.

"I have to do this because I don't want to live in fear of this man. I still had to deal with the issues that arose from it but I felt safer once I decided to go through with it."

So once again she had to go back to court and face him, give evidence and endure cross-examination and the gaze of 12 people she did not know.

ROSS GIBLIN/STUFF Lewis Scott, formerly owned African shop Kwanza. (File photo)

Behind the scenes

There were many court hearings the jury and public knew nothing about.

For both trials the Crown wanted to tell the jury about the previous rape. A district court judge refused both times at a pre-trial stage.

A district court judge also ordered the media to take down articles about Scott detailing his offending before the start of each trial to prevent a jury from finding out.

Stuff opposed the applications but in December last year a judge ruled the stories were inflammatory and prejudicial to him.

It did not work either time. On the morning of the first trial it was still possible to easily find a legal decision which included the details and after the deadline passed for the second take down it was still possible to see headlines naming him as a rapist.

It's a problem almost impossible to overcome. Once on the internet things can be found. Mainstream and social media are not the only ways. It only requires someone to have posted it to their own site and it's too late.

ROSS GIBLIN/STUFF Lewis Scott was previously found guilty of a rape in his Manners Mall shop Kwaanza. (File photo)

Despite overseas search engines and other sites being named in the order, a number did not comply.

That led to the start of the second trial being delayed when an application was made by the defence to stay the trial because of the information still available. When that failed they applied to adjourn the trial.

The victim had to wait hours before hearing she would know if she was going to be able to tell her story to the jury.

Finally the trial began and she got to tell her story.

La Hood said the case was about who the jury believed was telling the truth.

He said the essential issue was whether it was force, struggle, submission and escape or consensual lovemaking as he [Scott] would have you believe.

La Hood said the victim's case was completely at odds with Scott where everything was romantic, consensual and lovely.

Defence lawyer Anne Stevens QC told the jury the victim had regretted consenting but that it was still consent and she could not rewrite history now.

"She wasn't made to drink, to eat the food. She could have walked out the door. She did not have to stay in his house if she did not want to. She liked it.

"Rewriting history is alright for Trump but you are here to decide if this is proof beyond reasonable doubt."

Detective Lesa Eastergaard said the victim was one of the strongest women she had met.

"She has stuck to her belief that justice will be served."

Scott will be sentenced in March.