Crown tells man accused of paying 16-year-old for sex: 'You've slipped up haven't you?'

A Hawke's Bay businessman denied paying for sexual services from a girl who hadn't turned 18. Photo / File

A Hawke's Bay businessman charged with paying for sexual services from a 16-year-old girl has been accused of "slipping up" by the Crown.

The man, who has interim name and occupation suppression, appeared in the Napier District Court on the second day of the trial before a seven man/five woman jury and Judge Michael Crosbie.

The man is charged under the (Prostitution Reform Act) with obtaining sexual services from a person under 18.

The Crown prosecutor Richard Jenson has told the jury it was unlawful for a person to obtain sexual services from a person under 18 years under the 2003 Prostitution Reform Act.

The alleged offending dates back to August/September in 2006 in Napier, and involved a girl then aged 16.

On Monday, the woman told the jury the accused agreed to pay her for sex, they agreed on a price and then later agreed he would pay extra, but he did not.

The man gave evidence today that he had never taken the woman back to his house, had not had sex with her and had not paid her.

The woman yesterday gave evidence that she had placed her jewellery in a silver bowl by the man's brass bed. She had also noted there was a Tiffany style lamp in the room and various artwork. A song "Lay Lady Lay" was playing, she had said.

The man's lawyer Chris Tennet, asked the man if he had ever owned a brass bed or a silver bowl.

"There was no Tiffany lamp, there was no silver bowl. There never was," he said.

The man also denied the song was playing.

Crown prosecutor Richard Jenson directed the man to an object in a photograph taken inside the man's house, and alleged it was the silver dish the woman had described.

"It's a glass jar," the man replied.

"You've slipped up haven't you," Jenson said.
"You've given us a photo of the silver dish."

"It's a glass jar," the man replied.

The trial is due to wrap up today.