Crown prosecutor Marcail Brosnan said in the early hours of February 7, 2021, the woman posted on a sober driversâ Facebook page, seeking a ride home â once she confirmed her ride, she realised her phone battery had died.
The man allegedly made two stops, with the complainantâs friend exiting the car before it headed to Mosgiel, the Dunedin District Court heard yesterday.
The complainant said she had initially intended on staying with her friend, but changed her mind, wanting the comfort of her own bed.
Yesterday, the jury watched the womanâs police interview where she disclosed the graphic details of the alleged assault.
She said it began while she sat in the front passenger seat, with the man attempting to touch her hands.
âHe started touching my leg and calling me beautiful ... he said something along the lines of âsorry, youâre so pretty, youâre so gorgeousâ.â
The woman said as they drove along the motorway, his hands were creeping up her legs.
She also noticed he was driving very slowly.
âI told him he needed to go faster and put both hands on the wheel and speed up.
âI kind of knew what was going to happen ... I was just very scared.â
Things allegedly took a violent turn when the man said he needed to get something out of the boot, pulling into a grass verge as the pair drove into Mosgiel.
âHe took his seatbelt off, he moved on top of me ... it was very quick.
âHe must have locked the doors while we were driving because I didnât realise they were locked until I tried to get out.â
She said the man violated her, ignoring her clear protests.
âI was trying to get him off me and he grabbed me by the throat.
âI was trying to tell him to stop but I couldnât really breathe.â
The woman then described how the man raped her in the back seat, strangling her and pinning her down with his arm.
âI was just thinking how I needed to convince him to let me go to the toilet so I can just run away.â
The man allegedly became frustrated with the womanâs repeated requests and eventually relented, opening the door if she promised to come back.
As the man opened the door, the woman said she ran away and hid in some bushes before fleeing to a nearby petrol station.
In court, pictures of the womanâs bruised body were shown to the jury.
She will be cross-examined today.
The trial before Judge David Robinson is expected to take more than a week, with the Crown calling witnesses to corroborate the womanâs story â including a service station worker, the doctor who examined her and five police officers.
The defendant was expected to provide evidence the woman âwas very drunkâ, leading the driver to a dead-end road before running away, leaving the fare unpaid.
âHe is presumed innocent, a fact you must keep front of mind as you hear the evidence,â Stevens said.
SEXUAL HARM
Where to get help:
If it's an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
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Alternatively contact your local police station -
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If you have been sexually assaulted, remember it's not your fault.