Man denies taking part in 'chick fight'

A man who watched a young girl get beaten and violated said he didn't want to interfere in a "chick fight."

A young man who watched a teenage girl being punched and kicked in the head while pinned to the ground told police no male wants to get involved in a "chick fight".

Joshua Kerr, 20, also smacked the same girl on the bottom with a spatula later that night, the Napier District Court heard yesterday.

The victim, aged 17 at the time, was also stripped naked, had water thrown on her, had her hair cut off and allegedly was sexually violated with bottles in a four-hour assault.

A group of young people had been drinking at a Lyndon Rd flat in Hastings, rented by Hannah Sims, 21, on July 12 last year. Sims has pleaded guilty to nine charges, two charges of indecent assault, sexual violation and assault with a weapon as well as a charge of injuring with intent to injure, threatening to kill and unlawfully detaining a person.

Kerr and his co-accused Vaughan Olsen, 21, and Nakita Roper, 17, have pleaded guilty to some charges including injuring with intent to injure. All three have pleaded not guilty to two charges of sexual violation.

Their lawyers told the court this week the trio did not witness Sims sexually violate the other girl, who was so traumatised from the assault that she defecated.

The court heard yesterday that Kerr texted two friends to come over to the flat because there was a "chick fight" and one of them was naked.

Kerr, who was in a relationship with Sims at the time, told police in an interview that the girls started arguing but he told them he did not want to be involved in their "crap".

He said he watched Sims punch and kick the teen but just "ignored it".

"Hannah was attacking her. No guy wants to really get involved in a female fight, so I just left it and stuff happened."

He had watched Sims rub her crotch in the teen's face but insists he did not see the sexual violation. He did, however, hit her with a spatula and blow flour in her face.

"It wasn't intentional to hurt her, it was just a joke."

Kerr said he did feel bad that he turned his back on some of what happened.

"I wish I did ring you guys [police] but I didn't want to get myself in the shit."

A neighbour confronted the group that night when he heard a girl had been beaten up.

He demanded to see the girl to make sure she was all right.

He told the court the girl was "escorted out".

"She didn't come out alone, wilfully," the neighbour said.

The girl had looked traumatised. She was "shaking, hunched over ... pretty ugly, really". He asked if she wanted a lift home but she was incoherent, he said in evidence.

"I spoke to her and got nothing back." She turned her head slightly but it was like "no one was home".

She had responded only when Roper told her to go inside.

Crown solicitor Steve Manning suggested that the neighbour did all he could to help but he responded: "Looking back, I don't think I did enough."

The trial continues today.