Whangārei man found guilty of 31 charges, including rape and assault

RNZ News

a day ago

By Shannon Pitman, Open Justice reporter of
All of the women gave evidence that the man demanded sex daily.
Photo:
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WARNING: This article discusses sexual assault and may be upsetting to some readers.
A man, whose five ex-partners testified he raped, beat and sexually assaulted them, remained steadfast in his denial, despite the judge handing down 31 guilty verdicts.
"For your information, I didn't do this," he said, before being told to sit down in the courtroom dock.
On Friday, Justice Rebecca Edwards convicted the 43-year-old man on 31 charges, including rape, threats to kill, assault, and sexual violation, after hearing testimony from five women in a recent judge-alone trial in the Whangārei High Court.
The offending spanned a 15-year period, during which the victims had been in relationships with the man, which resulted in seven children.
Some of the women described being "love-bombed" and drawn into serious relationships within weeks, only for the man, who cannot be named, to become controlling and abusive soon afterwards.
They said he demanded sex daily and when they did not agree, they would be worn down to the point of sleep deprivation, until they gave in.
One woman described juggling childcare, work and study, while the man slept through the day, only to then endure his relentless sexual demands throughout the night.
Another testified that he held her underwater in a bath, until she lost consciousness, while a third recounted the frequent beatings she suffered, particularly to her head.
The man was also found guilty of raping two of the women just weeks after they had given birth to his children.
In the Crown's closings, Geraldine Kelly laid out the rules of the law around sexual consent. Kelly said true consent had to be freely given.
"Reluctant consent is still consent, but not if free will has been removed," she said. "It is not reluctant consent, if she has been left to feel she has no choice - that is submission."
Kelly submitted that the defendant overpowered them and, at times, physically restrained some of the women, taking away their will to refuse.
"Each and every one of those women has stood strong and consistent throughout, they are telling the truth," Kelly closed.
Throughout the trial, defence lawyers Martin Hislop and Connor Taylor alleged the women had banded together in the "ex-wives' club", as they were aggrieved that he moved on in relationships quickly and had no contact with his children.
"It was unhappiness about this man spreading his seed and moving on, and not taking responsibility as a father," Hislop alleged.
Hislop claimed that at no stage did he have sex with any of the women without their consent.
Following the closings, Justice Edwards reserved her decision, to deliver her verdicts on Friday.
After finding the man guilty on 31 of the 33 charges he faced, she said the not-guilty verdicts on the two charges had nothing to do with the victim's honesty.
Immediately after the verdicts were read out, the man interjected.
"Thank you, your honour, but for your information, I didn't do this," he said.
"No, take a seat," Justice Edwards warned him.
"I didn't do it," he responded.
Discussions were held around the interim suppression order in place, with a permanent order to be argued by the man's counsel at his sentencing in August. The women have automatic name suppression.
The man was remanded into custody and did not stand for Justice Edwards, as she retired from the courtroom.
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This story originally appeared in the
New Zealand Herald
.