Entertainment sex trial: Second complainant takes the stand against industry boss

A woman who claims she was indecently assaulted by her boss at an entertainment industry wrap party didn't quit her job because she wanted to stay close to him as a "minder" to make sure he didn't do it to anyone else.

But, she said, soon after he groped another woman repeatedly at another party.

She is one of three women who went to police alleging the man had sexually assaulted them.

The alleged offending occurred at various places in New Zealand between 2007 and 2014.

The man is now on trial in the Auckland District Court facing one charge of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection and five of indecent assault.

He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

A jury heard from the first alleged victim on Monday.

She said she was sleeping on a couch in the accused's room after a wrap party and woke to find the accused had undone her pants and was touching her.

The second victim gave evidence today.

She said the accused was her boss and the job he employed her to do was "a very good opportunity for me to further my career".

She had not worked for the accused before but was keen to advance in that part of the entertainment community - where he was the leading figure.

At the time she understood that he was in control of "99 per cent" of the work he specialised in within the industry.

When the project finished the woman went to a wrap party with her husband.

The accused sat down next to her and started touching her right leg on her upper thigh.

"He has reached across and put his hand on my leg and said 'you look after me and I'll look after you'," she said.

"He put it on my thigh and ran it up my thigh, maybe an inch or two… it was quite light, he didn't grab me or anything, just ran his hand up my leg…. He touched my stockings.

"I was quite shocked as I was a new employee and he was my boss"

Her husband was nearby and saw the alleged assault.

"He came round and put himself next to me and said 'what is going on'," she said.

Her husband had not been drinking.

"He asked if we could leave. I got up and we proceeded to leave."

She said the accused's partner was not at the party as she was pregnant.

The woman did not say anything to the accused immediately because she was "in shock".

She explained why she kept working for him.

"Because I really prided myself on my work and I felt that I could manage the situation going forward - not putting myself in any situation where it could happen again," she said.

"[I felt] slightly uncomfortable if we were alone together."

She said there was only one other female on staff at the time and was "concerned it may happen again to someone else".

"I spoke with other employees about that," she revealed.

She met the third complainant through their work in the industry.

They worked on a new project together with the accused, their boss.

When that project wrapped, a celebratory party was held.

Some of the crew walked back to the hotel accommodation.

"I noticed that his behaviour towards [her] was maybe not so positive, he started walking very closely to her… I could see that she was feeling quite uncomfortable," she recalled of the short walk home.

A group gathered in one hotel room.

There, the accused allegedly groped the third complainant multiple times.

"We were all sitting round… [the accused] came and sat down next to her… he started talking to her and she's got up very soon after that.

"[He] was just becoming very close to her which unsettled [me]... I think he had his hand across the back of hers."

She said two others witnessed the incident and were "aware of what was happening".

After about 10 minutes she told the second complainant she was uncomfortable and was going to leave and go to her own room.

The accused then started asking the group for her room number.

No one would tell him.

"He was insisting that he was going to her room, that he was going to find her," the second complainant said.

He later found the information from an email regarding accommodation allocation for his team and went to her room.

The next day she told the second complainant that she "didn't know what to do" and explained that the accused had been "knocking furiously" on her door.

The third woman would later accuse him of indecently assaulting her in the room where the group gathered.

An interim suppression‌ ‌order‌ ‌prohibits‌ ‌the‌ ‌Herald‌ ‌from‌ ‌publishing‌ ‌the‌ ‌specifics‌ ‌of‌ ‌his‌ ‌work in the entertainment industry.

However‌, ‌it‌ ‌can‌ ‌be‌ ‌reported‌ ‌that‌ ‌he‌ ‌has‌ ‌been‌ ‌involved‌ ‌with‌ ‌a‌ ‌number‌ ‌of‌ ‌high-profile‌ ‌film‌ ‌and‌ ‌television‌ ‌projects‌ ‌in‌ ‌New‌ ‌Zealand‌ ‌and‌ ‌around‌ ‌the‌ ‌world,‌ ‌including‌ ‌working‌ ‌with‌ ‌Disney‌ ‌and‌ ‌Netflix‌ ‌-‌ ‌and‌ ‌some‌ ‌significant‌ ‌retail‌ ‌brands.‌ ‌
‌
The third complainant will give evidence later this week.

The accused's lawyer‌, ‌Marie‌ ‌Dyhrberg‌, ‌QC‌, ‌said‌ ‌he "absolutely‌ ‌denies"‌ ‌the‌ ‌charges.‌ ‌ ‌

"The‌ ‌complainants…‌ ‌are‌ ‌unreliable‌ ‌or‌ ‌mistaken‌ ‌or‌ ‌certainly‌ ‌being‌ ‌untruthful,"‌ ‌she‌ ‌
said.‌ ‌ ‌

"The‌ ‌one‌ ‌party‌ ‌who‌ ‌is‌ ‌being‌ ‌honest‌ ‌in‌ ‌all‌ ‌of‌ ‌this‌ ‌and‌ ‌being‌ ‌truthful‌ ‌is‌ ‌[the‌ ‌man]."‌ ‌