The rich-lister, who has name suppression, is on trial in the High Court at Auckland, accused of indecently assaulting three men on separate occasions. Video / Chris Tarpey
Twelve Aucklanders are now deciding the fate of a wealthy businessman after hearing evidence for a month about a slew of sexual assault and corruption allegations.
The rich-lister is charged with indecently assaulting three men in the early 2000s,2008 and 2016.
He is also charged with twice attempting to pervert the course of justice by trying to dissuade the 2016 complainant - the first to go to police - from giving evidence.
The businessman's trial began on February 18 and was interrupted by another Government-ordered Covid-19 lockdown, which halted the proceeding for a week.
Today, after hearing all the evidence, Justice Geoffrey Venning told jurors: "Where the truth lies is up to you."
The jury retired to deliberate shortly after 11.30am.
The accused, who has interim name suppression, denies ever indecently assaulting any of the complainants and told police he was the victim of an "amazing blackmailing circuit" targeting his wealth.
After first being charged in February 2017, the Crown alleges the businessman then twice tried to dissuade the 2016 complainant from giving evidence.
Crown prosecutor Simon Foote QC said during his closing address this was a "wealthy businessman in a pickle ... scared for the kingdom that he has built".
The first effort involved a cafe meeting between an entertainer and the alleged victim in April 2017 and a $15,000 bribe in exchange for the allegations being dropped.
The conversation was covertly recorded by the complainant and has been played to the jury.
A second attempt in May 2017, now known as the Gold Coast plot, involved a PR firm and two consultants being hired by the businessman through his manager, who is also on trial and accused of attempting to pervert the course of justice.
The businessman denies having any knowledge of the first attempt and claims the entertainer was acting alone.
He acknowledges, however, he sought the services of the PR firm - linked to a well-known political figure - after hearing rumours of the 2016 complainant selling his story to the Australian press, which might result in a breach of his name suppression.
Justice Geoffrey Venning provided his summation of the case this morning for the jury. Photo / Michael Craig
Giving evidence in his own defence, the businessman said he had "absolutely no knowledge" of what eventually transpired on the Gold Coast, which included a meeting at the five-star Palazzo Versace hotel between the consultants and the complainant.
Part of the hotel balcony meeting was again secretly recorded and has been played to the court.
The rich-lister described it as a "strange amateur attempt".
"As a businessman, lawyer, [with] some decades of experience, the last thing I would have done is launch that foolish expedition," he said.
"I didn't hear anything about the whole crazy episode."
The PR consultants, who have interim name suppression, were given immunity from prosecution in exchange for their evidence for the Crown.
They told the court they had been hired by the businessman - via his manager - to stop the court case.
A third audio recording, a conversation between the consultants and the manager at a bar, revealed the group discussed the Gold Coast trip and what to do next less than 24 hours after returning to Auckland.
The manager's lawyer, Rachael Reed QC, told the jury during her closing address "the truth is stranger than fiction".
She said her client was unaware of exactly what the consultants and entertainer were planning for the Queensland trip, which the manager was not on.
"If anyone came up with this outrageous, stupid criminal plan, then it was on the Gold Coast and it was [the entertainer]," she said.
The entertainer has already pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice for the Gold Coast plot and the April 2017 effort.
He has name suppression and is due to be sentenced at the end of this month.
