JW Brother Pleads Innocent to Assault and Rape Charges using the New World Translation to take an Oath

[Jack Ryan]

A man accused of 19 sex and violence charges against his travelling companion has given evidence that the couple had “a normal, consensual” sexual relationship.

The trial of the 45-year-old man has been going for seven days, and after the Crown finished presentation of its case involving evidence from 21 witnesses, the defence has begun its case.

Crown is alleging that the man raped a woman five times, tied her up, sexually violated her with a knife and saw handle, and assaulted her nine times.

The woman – a visitor to New Zealand – spent days giving evidence about repeated incidents with the man as they travelled around the country, sometimes freedom camping in a van or doing casual work. They were together about 11 months in 2014-15.

Defence counsel Serina Bailey said the man would be called to give evidence and would tell Christchurch District Court Judge Gary MacAskill and the jury that he had never raped or sexually abused the woman, never strangled her, although he would admit that they sometimes had “heated and nasty” arguments.

The man told the court he was a Jehovah’s Witness and brought his own Bible to take his oath as a witness.

He told of the couple meeting at an Auckland beach when he was fishing with friends. He denied that during the relationship he had violated her with a knife or saw handle, or threatened to kill her.

The couple had “normal, consensual sex” three or four times a week during the relationship, he said.

He denied raping her. “Never, not once,” he said in evidence. “It was always consensual sex that we had.”

The man’s name is not suppressed, but he cannot be identified without revealing the identity of the alleged victim who has automatic suppression.

The trial is expected to end next week.

http://courtnews.co.nz/2016/11/11/alleged-abuser-says-sex-was-consensual/#axzz4PfY4La00

[Guest Nicole]

 

 

 

A jury has accepted a foreign woman’s evidence of enduring 10 months of abuse at the hands of her New Zealand travelling companion. 

On the 11th day of the trial of a 45-year-old man, the Christchurch District Court jury has returned 17 guilty verdicts, convicting him on every charge.

The convictions include rape, sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection, assaults and injuring.

Two assault charges had been dropped during the trial, and one charge was reduced from assault with intent to injure, to assaulting a woman.

Judge Gary MacAskill remanded the man in custody for sentencing on February 15.

He ordered that two health assessors be prepared on the risk the man could pose to the community in the future “to assess whether he is a candidate for preventive detention”.

He told defence counsel Serina Bailey he was getting the reports “because of the cumulative seriousness of the offending” but it was “just an inquiry” and not an indication that he thought preventive detention was the appropriate sentence.

Preventive detention is an open-ended jail term in which an offender is not released until he has undergone sufficient treatment and rehabilitation, or is so elderly that he no longer poses a threat.

The judge also asked for a pre-sentence report on the man, and for a victim impact report on the woman, to be prepared by a psychologist.

The Crown planned to call evidence from 21 witnesses when the trial began on November 2, and the accused gave evidence denying the woman’s allegations.

He said their sexual relationship had been “normal, consensual”, but the woman had spent days giving evidence and being cross-examined on allegations that the man had raped her five times during 10 months when they travelled around New Zealand together. They were freedom camping in a van or doing casual work.

The woman told of being tied up and sexually abused, including being sexually violated with a knife blade, a hand saw handle, and a vibrator. She described a series of assaults in the North and South Islands.

The man described himself in evidence as a Jehovah’s Witness and brought his own Bible to take his oath as a witness.

The man does not have name suppression but the couple were together in a relationship for so long that he cannot be named without identifying the victim, who has automatic suppression.

Judge MacAskill thanked the Crown prosecutors, Barnaby Hawes and Donald Matthews, and the defence team of Mrs Bailey and Ethan Huda, for the way in which they had handled the trial. He told the defence counsel: “You have certainly done your best for [the accused].”

Judge MacAskill thanked the jury for enduring a long trial as well as earthquakes in the meantime. They had been helpful and accommodating in getting the trial to its completion.

The judge summed up for the jury on Thursday and they then retired late on Thursday to begin considering their verdicts. They returned the 17 guilty verdicts on Friday evening.

The man remained impassive in the dock as the verdicts were read in a silent court room. Judge MacAskill read him a first strike warning under the system that imposes heavier penalties on repeat sexual and violent offenders.

 

http://courtnews.co.nz/2016/11/18/womans-10-months-of-abuse/#axzz4QOOyhK2n