He fell in love with one of the women and the pair had a lengthy affair filled with what Pollett today described as “lust and love”.
In a message to the defendant Pollett read to the jury, the woman said what the defendant’s wife was lacking, she was good at - including sex, fun times, and a “stable woman” who would have his back.
She reminded the jury through questioning, the defendant agreed he paid for the woman’s hair, make-up, nails, fake tans, groceries, rent and trips overseas.
The woman is now one of the nine complainants. The defendant faces six charges relating to her, including two of rape, two of indecent assault, and two of supplying drugs namely ecstasy and methamphetamine.
Pollett asked the defendant if he popped a “Pink Porsche” ecstasy pill in the woman’s mouth after they went for a walk at a party.
Pollett said the woman became “incapacitated” after taking the pill and her eyes rolled back into her head. Pollett said the woman described it during her evidence as being like she was “tripping balls”.
“She described being gone like she had no control of her body and she was drugged.”
Pollett said they went back to the party and she was in such a state, a friend took her back to his apartment.
It is alleged the defendant later picked her up and raped her.
“She has flashes of you being on top of her having sex with her.”
Pollett suggested the defendant was on top of her to allow him to have control.
The defendant said: “She was fine.”
Pollett also asked questions about another occasion when the defendant allegedly forced the woman to have sex with him after giving her methamphetamine. Pollett suggested he was in a “jealous rage” after he had found out the woman had slept with two of his friends.
“She was crying, she was defeated, she lay there while you had your way with her.
“That’s when you got up and said ‘that’s what sluts deserve’.”
The defendant denied all suggestions.
Pollett asked if she, too, was “fine”, as he had described another woman who also alleges being drugged and raped.
Pollett reminded the jury through questioning that woman had said during her evidence she went to a hotel with the defendant for what she thought was a party.
But it was just the two of them, her friend and the defendant’s friend in the hotel room. Pollett asked the defendant if he fixed the woman a drink and put GBL, a “highly soluble” rape drug, into the drink.
He said “no”.
Pollett asked the defendant if it was correct she was unconscious. He said she was “never unconscious”.
The complainant had recalled flashes of the defendant sexually assaulting and raping her.
Pollett said when the woman started to come out of being under the influence of the drug, the man took her to a party at another address where the woman found a friend to take her home.
“She was upset at what you had done to her.”
The defendant said “no”.
In total, the defendant has pleaded not guilty to 10 charges of indecent assault, four of sexual violation by rape, three of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection, two of attempted sexual violation, two of burglary, one of assault with intent to commit sexual violation, one of supplying MDMA, one of supplying methamphetamine and one of willfully attempting to pervert the course of justice.
The trial was originally set down for six weeks but has entered its 10th week before Justice Layne Harvey and a jury of nine women and three men.
It was likely the Crown and defence lawyers would give their closing arguments near the start of next week, possibly from Tuesday.
Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.
