Fingerprints link ex-police recruit to rape, court told

A man who wanted to be a police officer is to stand trial charged with raping and assaulting a prostitute.

The 32-year-old former police recruit was linked to the 2003 crime after his fingerprints were taken at the Porirua police college last year, a depositions hearing at Christchurch District Court was told today.

Judge Michael Green continued interim suppression of the man's name until 4.30pm tomorrow after defence counsel James Rapley indicated he would seek an application in the High Court.

Judge Green said he saw no reason to continue to keep the man's details secret from the public. He also declined applications by crown prosecutor Kathryn Dalziel and Mr Rapley to suppress the man's former occupation as a police recruit.

In written evidence handed up to the judge but not read in open court, the prostitute said the man she picked up in Christchurch's Manchester St red light district and took back to her flat on March 15 2003 seemed offended when she asked him for payment up front.

"He reached around into his back pocket, as if he was going to pull his wallet out and then suddenly he grabbed me around the throat with one hand, his right hand," she said.

She was pushed onto the bed on her back and struggled to try to get out from under him. She passed out and when she came to she found her dress had been removed and her underwear had been pulled aside, the court heard. She had a number of injuries.

Christchurch-based police senior fingerprint officer Helen McLeod told the court she located 26 fingerprints from the prostitute's bedroom. Two of the prints were registered with the police national database as from an unsolved crime.

Last September 8 Ms McLeod said she received a set of fingerprints bearing the defendant's name and found two prints to be "identical" to those taken from the prostitute's bedroom.

Earlier, Ms Dalziel told the court that when the accused was interviewed by police he said he'd paid $100 for sex with the prostitute and that the sex was consensual. He denied assaulting her.

At the end of the depositions hearing, Mr Rapley accepted there was a prima facie case for the accused to answer.

Judge Green remanded the man on continued bail to July 7 for a pre-trial hearing.

- NZPA