Alleged rapist became 'feral' after being refused sex, court hears

Jahmin Mauna McNeill-Hulme is on trial in the Dunedin District Court on seven sex charges against three women, over a period of 15 months. Photo / Amber Allott, File

Warning: Graphic content

A man who allegedly raped a woman became "feral" when she refused his sexual advances months later, a jury heard yesterday.

Jahmin Mauna McNeill-Hulme, 24, is on trial in the Dunedin District Court on seven sex charges against three women, over a period of 15 months.

He faces a charge of rape in March 2019, and of indecent assault on December 28 later that year against the first complainant.

The jury heard her police interview from May 2020, where the woman told Detective Jenny Glover that she had become wasted at a friend's house on the night of the first incident.

Fading in and out of consciousness, the woman remembered McNeill-Hulme being on the couch she was crashing on, rubbing her feet and then lying down.

The next thing she remembered was being in the bathroom, bent over a washing machine, with someone having sex with her from behind.

"Jahmin was behind me, holding on to me, keeping me pressed up against the washing machine," she told the detective.

In the witness stand, she admitted it was not a clear memory, which was a fact counsel Deborah Henderson held on to.

"Given your poor memory, I suggest you may have had sex in the bathroom consensually and just don't remember consenting," Henderson said.

"If I was that drunk that I don't remember how could I consent? Is it consent if I don't remember giving it?" the complainant replied.

The complainant was asked by the defence how she was sure the man who raped her was McNeill-Hulme.

"The room smelt like him, I could feel his hair and his breath, and I could smell his body odour in the room," she replied, having smelt it earlier in the night.

The second incident occurred when McNeill-Hulme was giving the complainant a ride home from work, as he had done numerous times before.

However, this time, he parked up just outside of Mosgiel and, after they had smoked some marijuana, began asking her for sexual favours.

She continuously refused and he became "feral" and she "shut down", she told the detective in her interview.

He then pleasured himself as she shrunk as far as she could towards her door, unable to avoid one of his hands travelling over her body.

She told Crown prosecutor Robin Bates yesterday that she felt "defeated and scared", as though no matter what she said, he was going to do it because he had ignored her refusals.

While she did not push him away, she said "you could tell from my body language that I was uncomfortable".

The complainant then put up a sexual video so he would "take his attention off [her]" and stop touching her.

After he finished, he seemed back to his friendly self while he drove her home, thanking her and asking her not to tell anyone.

The trial in front of Judge Michael Turner and a jury of eight women and four men continues.

SEXUAL HARM - DO YOU NEED HELP?

If it's an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
If you've ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone contact the Safe to Talk confidential crisis helpline on:
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Alternatively contact your local police station - click here for a list.
If you have been abused, remember it's not your fault.