Warning: this story contains details of a sexual nature.
Years before tattoo artist Shakey Pete allegedly told a New Zealand teenager his intimate touching was okay because he was wearing gloves, he allegedly said the same thing to a female client in the United Kingdom.
Peter John Roberts went on trial in the New Plymouth District Court on Monday facing a total of seven charges, one of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection and six of indecent assault, relating to two complainants.
Roberts, known as Shakey Pete in the industry, has pleaded not guilty to the offending, which is alleged to have taken place between January and the end of July 2020.
During her opening address on Monday Crown prosecutor Rebekah Hicklin said three women from the United Kingdom, who made complaints to police in 2016, 2017 and 2019 would be giving evidence about things Roberts had said and done while tattooing them.
On Wednesday the first of the UK witnesses, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared via video link.
She told Crown solicitor Cherie Clarke that Roberts had worked on a tattoo, which was on the side of her body, in Newquay, Cornwall, in 2016.
During their third session, which was done at night when the studio was shut, the woman claimed Roberts repeatedly groped her bottom and indecently touched her genitalia.
“He put his hand on the left cheek of my bottom, which obviously very much surprised me.”
She looked over her shoulder and gave Roberts a “filthy look” before he chuckled, moved his hand and carried on before doing it again a few minutes later.
“The first time it was kind of like a touch, the second time it was a squeeze or fondle.”
Roberts repeated his actions for a third time but then moved her bikini bottoms out of the way and touched her genitalia, she alleged.
“I said ‘no, stop what are you doing?”
When he tried touching the woman for a fourth time and was told to stop, Roberts tried to laugh it off before saying it was okay because he had gloves on.
“He said ‘don’t worry, it’s just like you are at the doctor’.”
Earlier this week a New Plymouth teenager gave evidence that Roberts had told her the same thing while tattooing her in 2020.
The woman said she then protested and made excuses to leave and never returned.
Under cross-examination by defence lawyer Patrick Mooney the witness claimed Roberts’ actions were deliberate and denied she had mistaken it for his attempts to keep her skin tight while tattooing.
“That’s incorrect, he wasn’t even working on that area that day, so that area didn’t need to be taut.”
She told Mooney she had been very clear with Roberts he needed to stop touching her.
When questioned by Mooney about subsequent messages from Roberts the woman said she couldn’t remember replying or using smiley face or kissing emojis.
During a DVD interview with UK police, played in court, Roberts said he remembered the client very well and was working on her rib area on the session in question.
“There’s no way I would have gone down any further,” he told officers.
“Normally I’m very quiet when I tattoo because I concentrate so much.”
He told police the session ended because the pain had got too much for the client.
Roberts was happy for officers to look through his phone and read messages between the pair, which never mentioned the woman had felt uncomfortable with him.
After talking with a colleague, it had been suggested the woman made her complaint to get attention, Roberts told police.
He also admitted to police he didn’t have the best reputation and had left previous studios on “bad terms” including once for “causing emotional distress”.
In an interview with New Plymouth police in August 2020 Roberts acknowledged he changed his social media profiles regularly because there were people in England accusing him of all sorts of things.
“I was so fed up with those people hounding me.”
Roberts had been sacked from New Plymouth studio Brothers Ink after only three weeks because the owners became aware of the allegations, he told the detective.
He denied ever sending the teenager any sexual messages on social media but did admit he had poked her near the top of her bottom at the end of one session.
“It was just boom, you are done. That’s what happened.”
The trial before Judge Gregory Hikaka and a jury of seven woman and five men is set down for five days.
SEXUAL HARM
Where to get help:
If it's an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
If you've ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone, contact Safe to Talk confidentially, any time 24/7:
• Call 0800 044 334
• Text 4334
• Email [email protected]
• For more info or to web chat visit safetotalk.nz
Alternatively contact your local police station - click here for a list.
If you have been sexually assaulted, remember it's not your fault.
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