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Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Leading entertainment figure rape trial: Complainant tells jury she felt ‘yuck and disgusted’

Kelly Makiha
By Kelly Makiha
Multimedia Journalist·Rotorua Daily Post·
30 May, 2023 05:55 AM4 mins to read

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A leading figure in the New Zealand entertainment industry is on trial in the High Court at Rotorua. Photo / Andrew Warner

A leading figure in the New Zealand entertainment industry is on trial in the High Court at Rotorua. Photo / Andrew Warner

Warning: Distressing content

An entertainment hopeful says she was lured away for the night with a leading industry figure on the pretence of getting a break in her career.

Instead, she was drugged and raped, leaving her feeling “disgusted” and “defeated”.

The young woman gave evidence today in the High Court at Rotorua in a trial of a man facing 25 charges relating to rape, sexual assault and drug-related offences against nine women.

The young woman, a teenager at the time, told the jury she had previously felt pressured to have sex with the man in a situation where she felt scared of what would happen to her if she didn’t.

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The jury has previously been told by Crown Solicitor Anna Pollett the man had a position of responsibility in the industry and took advantage of his role relating to women.

It is the Crown’s case the man, at times, forced the women to take illicit drugs before sexually assaulting or raping them.

Pollett has told the jury they will hear from some women who say they were given drugs and didn’t have control of their bodies.

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It is the defence case the man was popular with women and didn’t need to ply them drugs or alcohol to have sexual relationships with them.

The jury has previously heard from the man’s wife, who said she was aware her husband was being unfaithful but she was okay with it as long as he didn’t form relationships with the women.

The young woman said the man had lured her to a hotel on an earlier occasion, saying they were going to exercise together. Once inside his room, she said she started to feel nervous like she thought she had got herself into a bit of trouble.

He said things to her like: “You are looking like you want it”. She replied she didn’t want anything.

The young woman broke down in tears recounting the incident. When she continued she said his tone changed and she started to feel scared because he was bigger than her.

She said she kept trying to move away from him and repeatedly told him she had to go because she would be late for work.

“I knew in my head I was not leaving without him getting what he wanted.”

The man started kissing her and it progressed to sex, despite her not wanting that to happen.

“I knew he had a wife ... and I had just started seeing someone. I really like this new guy I was seeing... I just felt yuck and disgusted.”

The woman said the man “got what he wanted and he was done”.

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After she left, she sent him a message saying: “What the f*** was that.”

She said he replied saying: “Yeah but it was good right?”.

The young woman said she deleted all the messages because she just wanted to forget.

Sometime later, the man contacted her again and suggested she go with him as he had an opportunity to have time with a top entertainer.

She thought the top entertainer would be with them so she assumed she would be safe.

“I was excited ... I knew (the man) had a lot of connections. I thought maybe this could be the start of something for me.”

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The young woman said she thought if someone else was there it would be fine.

“I was trying to forget and move on.”

The man was alone when he picked her up, saying they would meet the top entertainer there.

He drove her to their accommodation and they went to a party.

The young woman said she got drunk and remembered later going to another place where the man put white powder on his finger and put it in her mouth.

She later remembered being at their accommodation, where she thought she would be sleeping in a single bed.

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She said she had memory flashes including being naked and the man sexually assaulting her. The next morning she woke in the man’s bed and discovered the sheets had blood on them. She said she was sore on parts of her body and knew it was from the man forcing himself on her.

The trial is in its third week and was set to last at least six weeks. It is before Justice Layne Harvey and a jury of nine women and three men.

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