KEY POINTS:
Renowned author Alan Duff has denied he has an issue with women.
He made the comment while being cross-examined in Taupo District Court today during the second day of a defended hearing.
Duff, 57, has pleaded not guilty to failing to remain at a scene after being stopped, failing to stop for police and two charges of resisting police.
He was charged after an incident on Broadlands Rd, about 20km north of Taupo on September 13 last year when he was stopped by a policewoman for speeding but drove off and then resisted being arrested.
Duff was asked by Taupo police prosecutor Mark Robertson whether he was rankled by a policewoman stopping and arresting him but Duff said he did not have an issue with women.
The case has been adjourned until May 15 when the matter will be called in Rotorua District Court for submissions from Duff's lawyer Antony Shaw and the police to be heard.
Judge Chris McGuire has indicated he is unlikely to make a decision on Mr Duff's guilt or innocence that day.
Yesterday the court was told Duff swung a police officer about by her handcuffs as she tried to arrest him.
Taupo police Constable Patricia Foden told the court she saw Duff speeding and switched on the flashing lights and sirens and pulled him over, the Rotorua Post reported.
She said Duff walked to her car and she told him to move off the road as he was causing danger to other motorists.
"He yelled at me `you can't tell me what to do'," Ms Foden said.
"He yelled that he had done nothing wrong, that he didn't have to give me anything, that I was a bad example for the police."
She told Duff she had seen him driving at 112km/h and locked her radar at 110km/h.
Duff drove off after being told to wait.
Ms Foden followed him for 3.5km before he pulled over and he was told he was being arrested. She handcuffed one of his arms but he was "swinging" Ms Foden who was holding the chain of the handcuffs.
She told him she would spray him with pepper spray if he did not stop swinging her.
She said Duff yelled that he wanted to call his lawyer and Ms Foden told him he could once "backup" arrived.
Two other police officers arrived and Duff tried unsuccessfully to call his lawyer on his cellphone.
In his evidence Duff denied hitting the police car window or swinging Ms Foden.
"I shouted, I was stupid, but I did not do that (swing Ms Foden)."
He said he did not refuse to be handcuffed when Ms Foden told him he would be pepper sprayed.
Duff said he would have been driving at a speed of 105 or 106km/h as that was what his cruise control was set at.
Duff did not believe Ms Foden had any reason to follow him after he drove off as she had his driver's licence and details.
Duff had been visiting schools that day as part of a literacy programme he founded. He told the court he could not believe he had gone from being at schools which had banners saying "Welcome Mr Duff" to this "bizarre situation where I'm in handcuffs".
- NZPA
