WARNING: This story is about alleged sexual offending.

A teen who was allegedly raped by a stranger says she had earlier introduced herself to him in the street and felt safe as she followed him home.

The then 18-year-old had been arguing with her boyfriend earlier that day and had stormed out of her house and on to a Christchurch street, where she met Donny Moses.

She recalled him being friendly.

“It seemed like he was trying to comfort me a little bit; I felt safe with him at the time,” she told the court as she gave evidence today in his trial.

She recalled going with him to his house, dancing and drinking with him.

At some point, she testified, she fell and knocked her head, falling unconscious, and woke to Moses sexually assaulting her.

Moses is charged with sexual violation by rape, unlawful sexual connection, abduction with intent to have unlawful sexual connection and attempted sexual violation.

The offences are alleged to have occurred overnight between March 31 and April 1, 2023.

A jury of 10 listened to evidence on the second day of his trial at the Christchurch District Court after one juror called in absent and another declared a conflict of interest.

‘I was wanting to leave’

The teen, who is now a young woman, said she was on a mattress in his bedroom when she awoke to the assault, not knowing how she got there.

She said she vomited numerous times during the alleged assaults.

Crown prosecutor Christina Hallaway asked her why she repeatedly apologised to Moses over the course of the alleged assaults.

“I think I was trying to apologise to him because I was wanting to leave.”

She told the court she tried to leave the bedroom three times, but her body was weak, as she struggled to stand.

On the third attempt, she made it to the front door and said she was met by a woman with an accompanying man standing on the street.

“I felt very relieved when she asked me if I wanted help,” she said.

“I wanted to leave his house, and he kept on hurting me.”

Defence lawyer Jessica Campbell asked the woman if she had introduced herself to Moses.

“I think I did introduce myself to him and recall telling him I had an argument with my family,” she said.

Moses had pizza, and she said she took a slice. She said he invited her back to his house, where she drank three glasses of vodka.

Campbell said the pair moved between the lounge and the kitchen, talking, singing and dancing, and relaxed.

She said Moses was happy as the pair were having a good time.

Was it consensual?

Under questioning from Campbell, the woman said she remembered leaving home, walking down the street, walking through a park, a school nearby, a petrol station and shops, the offer of pizza, walking back to his house, drinking vodka and the layout of his house.

Campbell asked if the woman remembered sitting on the couch with Moses as he spoke to his mother on the phone, her also talking to his mother, Moses going to bed and then walking out of his bedroom naked.

The woman said she didn’t remember.

The woman denied walking into his bedroom, sitting on his bed and engaging in sexual activity with him.

She disagreed that sexual activity was consensual.

Campbell asked her if there was an instant regret because she had slept with someone who wasn’t her boyfriend, and if she had acted more “out of it” than she actually was.

“The sex was consensual; you regretted that consensual sex as soon as it was over, you panicked because of what it meant.”

The woman rejected the statement and said her relationship was over by that point.

The trial continues tomorrow.

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.

Al Williams is an Open Justice reporter for the New Zealand Herald, based in Christchurch. He has worked in daily and community titles in New Zealand and overseas for the past 16 years. Most recently, he was editor of the Hauraki-Coromandel Post, based in Whangamatā. He was previously deputy editor of the Cook Islands News.