Latest news with #Martial
Otago Daily Times
14 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Two charges against Christchurch soldier dropped
Two of the charges against a Christchurch soldier accused of taking sexual videos without consent have been dropped. Corporal Manu Smith was facing a Court Martial on three counts of making intimate visual recordings under the Armed Forces Discipline Act. In a Court Martial, a military panel make a decision on the accused's guilt or innocence. On Tuesday morning, Justice Tom Gilbert, who was presiding over the court, advised the military panel that he had granted the defence's request to drop two of the charges. The judge said the two charges were dismissed for legal reasons, because in light of the evidence, he ruled that a properly directed panel could not reasonably convict on those charges. That afternoon, the accused Corporal Manu Smith gave evidence for the defence. Defence lawyer Timothy Leighton asked Corporal Smith why he had taken out his phone and started recording during sex with the complainant, and if the woman had known he was filming. Corporal Smith said he saw it as a way of expressing their intimacy and that she had seen that he was filming on his phone, and did nothing to indicate she wanted him to stop filming. He said the pair's relationship had been sexual from the start, and they both shared intimate sexual images with each other. Corporal Smith said the pair had talked about boundaries. "Yes, I expected the same respect from her that she did with me, in terms of sharing content with a third party or anybody outside. "...It was a circle of trust, it should have been. I don't want images of me shared with her girlfriends, nor would she want me to share intimate images of her." He said the pair had discussed filming sexual encounters, while discussing their sexual likes and dislikes, and he believed she was open to it. Corporal Smith said he believed he did have consent to record the sexual encounter which is the subject of the complaint, and he said if she had asked him to stop he would have. The prosecution's captain John Whitcombe asked Corporal Smith about the nature of his relationship with the complainant and whether she had reason to assume it was a exclusive relationship. Corporal Smith said the nature of their relationship was not discussed, but he saw it as non-exclusive and he believed she did too. Captain John Whitcombe challenged Corporal Smith's assertion that the woman had consented to the sex being filmed, asking if there was ever an express discussion about him filming on the day in question. Corporal Smith said they had talked about it in a light-hearted jovial way. "There was no black and white, no written agreement," he told the court. The defence and prosecution will give their closing addresses on Tuesday afternoon.
Otago Daily Times
14 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Two charges dropped against soldier accused of covert filming
Two of the charges against a Christchurch soldier accused of taking sexual videos without consent have been dropped. Corporal Manu Smith was facing a Court Martial on three counts of making intimate visual recordings under the Armed Forces Discipline Act. In a Court Martial, a military panel make a decision on the accused's guilt or innocence. On Tuesday morning, Justice Tom Gilbert, who was presiding over the court, advised the military panel that he had granted the defence's request to drop two of the charges. The judge said the two charges were dismissed for legal reasons, because in light of the evidence, he ruled that a properly directed panel could not reasonably convict on those charges. That afternoon, the accused Corporal Manu Smith gave evidence for the defence. Defence lawyer Timothy Leighton asked Corporal Smith why he had taken out his phone and started recording during sex with the complainant, and if the woman had known he was filming. Corporal Smith said he saw it as a way of expressing their intimacy and that she had seen that he was filming on his phone, and did nothing to indicate she wanted him to stop filming. He said the pair's relationship had been sexual from the start, and they both shared intimate sexual images with each other. Corporal Smith said the pair had talked about boundaries. "Yes, I expected the same respect from her that she did with me, in terms of sharing content with a third party or anybody outside. "...It was a circle of trust, it should have been. I don't want images of me shared with her girlfriends, nor would she want me to share intimate images of her." He said the pair had discussed filming sexual encounters, while discussing their sexual likes and dislikes, and he believed she was open to it. Corporal Smith said he believed he did have consent to record the sexual encounter which is the subject of the complaint, and he said if she had asked him to stop he would have. The prosecution's captain John Whitcombe asked Corporal Smith about the nature of his relationship with the complainant and whether she had reason to assume it was a exclusive relationship. Corporal Smith said the nature of their relationship was not discussed, but he saw it as non-exclusive and he believed she did too. Captain John Whitcombe challenged Corporal Smith's assertion that the woman had consented to the sex being filmed, asking if there was ever an express discussion about him filming on the day in question. Corporal Smith said they had talked about it in a light-hearted jovial way. "There was no black and white, no written agreement," he told the court. The defence and prosecution will give their closing addresses on Tuesday afternoon.
Spectator
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Spectator
Nunc est bibendum – to Horace, the lusty rebel
Horace suffers from a reputation as an old man's poet. Classicists often joke that Catullus and Martial are for the young, and Horace for those of a certain vintage – wine being a favourite Horatian theme. Many lose their thirst for his Odes at school, only to realise their brilliance decades later. Classroom Horace is just a bit too bombastic and patriotic to be cool. The Horace of Peter Stothard's beautifully written new biography surprises with his sexiness. Not many pages in we find him poring over scurrilous papyri in the libraries of Athens. A verse by the Archaic-era poet Archilochus has caught his eye. It describes a woman with a man, 'head-down, as she did her work like a Thracian drinking beer through a straw'. Golly. This certainly isn't the Horace we met in Latin lessons: lusty, libidinous – a rebel eager to escape his strict upbringing. He was born Quintus Horatius Flaccus (meaning 'floppy') at Venusia, south-east of Rome, on 8 December 65 BC. His father was a former slave who made his living by salting meat and fish. In his keenness to help his son move up in the world he was willing to pose as his personal slave. Horace repaid him by going slightly wild on his travels and refusing to knuckle down following his return to Rome. The longed-for promotion came unexpectedly. Horace fought on the 'wrong' side at the Battle of Philippi, aiding the defenders of the Republic against Octavian, the future Emperor Augustus. Still dreaming of Archilochus, who had written less ripely of laying aside his armour out of cowardice, Horace quit the fight.
IOL News
14-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
UFC 319: Dricus du Plessis set to defend title against Khamzat Chimaev
FIGHT CONFIRMED Dricus du Plessis is set to defend his UFC middleweight title against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 in Chicago on August 16. Picture: Saeed Khan / AFP Du Plessis first beat Sean Strickland to earn the middleweight belt, before defending against Israel Adesanya before defeating Strickland again. UFC chief executive announced the headline event of the fight night on Tuesday, during an Instagram Live stream. Du Plessis will be challenged by Khamzat Chimaev for the title. Dricus du Plessis will defend his middleweight title for a third time at UFC 319 on August 16 in Chicago, USA. Du Plessis Confidently Embraces Khamzat Chimaev Challenge Without Fear On his fight against Chimaev, Du Plessis told CBS Sports: "I think everyone has been moving backward trying to evade that takedown. "No, no, no. I'm not scared of Khamzat's wrestling. I'm not evading. I'm not trying to stay off the ground with Khamzat. That's the mistake everyone makes. I'm going to fight Khamzat wherever the fight goes.' Having celebrated his 31st birthday in January, Du Plessis could remain at the top of the UFC landscape for at least another few years. Of course, a brutal contact sport like UFC is anything but predictable and all it could take is one massive hit or momentary loss in concentration for Du Plessis to lose a fight. That however, hasn't happened since his debut in the UFC in October 2020. Since then, Du Plessis has notched up nine wins in a row which included the middleweight title in his seventh fight. Though Du Plessis has had his fighting style described as 'a white guy dancing', his unorthodox approach is certainly effective. Lending credence to his ability, are his former welterweight and Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC), and Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki (KSW) titles. The Welkom-born Du Plessis has a grounding in judo and wrestling before taking up kickboxing at the age of 14. He would go on to win gold in the Kickboxing World Championships at the age of 17. With not much potential for big paydays, Du Plessis then turned to Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and turned professional in 2013. It's certainly been one of the best decisions he made, and his time as the UFC champ might only just be beginning. @Michael_Sherman IOL Sport
IOL News
14-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
UFC 319: Dricus du Plessis set to defend title against Khamzat Chimaev
FIGHT CONFIRMED Dricus du Plessis is set to defend his UFC middleweight title against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 in Chicago on August 16. Picture: Saeed Khan / AFP Du Plessis first beat Sean Strickland to earn the middleweight belt, before defending against Israel Adesanya before defeating Strickland again. UFC chief executive announced the headline event of the fight night on Tuesday, during an Instagram Live stream. Du Plessis will be challenged by Khamzat Chimaev for the title. Dricus du Plessis will defend his middleweight title for a third time at UFC 319 on August 16 in Chicago, USA. Du Plessis Confidently Embraces Khamzat Chimaev Challenge Without Fear On his fight against Chimaev, Du Plessis told CBS Sports: "I think everyone has been moving backward trying to evade that takedown. "No, no, no. I'm not scared of Khamzat's wrestling. I'm not evading. I'm not trying to stay off the ground with Khamzat. That's the mistake everyone makes. I'm going to fight Khamzat wherever the fight goes.' Having celebrated his 31st birthday in January, Du Plessis could remain at the top of the UFC landscape for at least another few years. Of course, a brutal contact sport like UFC is anything but predictable and all it could take is one massive hit or momentary loss in concentration for Du Plessis to lose a fight. That however, hasn't happened since his debut in the UFC in October 2020. Since then, Du Plessis has notched up nine wins in a row which included the middleweight title in his seventh fight. Though Du Plessis has had his fighting style described as 'a white guy dancing', his unorthodox approach is certainly effective. Lending credence to his ability, are his former welterweight and Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC), and Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki (KSW) titles. The Welkom-born Du Plessis has a grounding in judo and wrestling before taking up kickboxing at the age of 14. He would go on to win gold in the Kickboxing World Championships at the age of 17. With not much potential for big paydays, Du Plessis then turned to Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and turned professional in 2013. It's certainly been one of the best decisions he made, and his time as the UFC champ might only just be beginning. @Michael_Sherman IOL Sport
