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Man accused of 50 sex crimes stands trial

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Mon, 16 Apr 2018, 5:55PM
Trial scheduled to start for man accused of 50 sex crimes (Photo / Supplied)
Trial scheduled to start for man accused of 50 sex crimes (Photo / Supplied)

Man accused of 50 sex crimes stands trial

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Mon, 16 Apr 2018, 5:55PM

In a brief opening statement for a man facing 50 sex-related charges his lawyer Martin Hine said the defendant viewed the allegations against him as vile, repulsive and delusions of his accuser's mind.

"My client says they are totally untrue and fictional," he told the jury.

He added the defendant denied ever sexually violating or raping the alleged victim over 15 years and was adamant an intentional injury charge claiming he threw a knife at her was completely and utterly false.

The 43-year-old defendant, whose name is suppressed for legal reasons, pleaded not guilty to all charges when he went on trial in the High Court at Rotorua on Monday. The charges span the years 2003 to 2016.

Giving evidence by closed circuit TV the complainant, now 26, described her childhood as hard.

"There were some amazing times but there were also the most horrible times of my life. The amazing times were with my family, my brothers, my cousins. I will never get back what I lost," she wept.

Pressed by prosecutor Chris Macklin, she said the horrible times began when she was 10 and the defendant started to abuse her, saying it was like it was yesterday.

After breaking down as she described her first alleged sexual encounter with the defendant, Justice Matthew Palmer adjourned the trial at her request late Monday afternoon until Tuesday to give her time to compose herself.

It's scheduled to run for two weeks.

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