Girl allegedly drugged and raped

A man accused of drugging and raping a teenage girl is on trial in the High Court at Whanganui.

Mark Anthony Spittal's judge-alone trial began today before Justice Simon France.

The 40-year-old has pleaded not guilty to charges of rape, disabling, injuring with reckless disregard, male assaults female, threatening to kill, indecent act on a young person, two counts of supplying a class C drug to an under 18-year-old, and two counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice.

In a recorded police interview, the girl said she was staying at Spittal's house for a night when he gave her a joint to smoke, then gave her a drink of juice with a "chunky", white substance in it, which made her feel "really dizzy and tired".

When the girl went to bed, Spittal allegedly came in and took her pyjama pants off.

She said she could see a butcher's knife jammed in the door to stop other people coming in.

"He thingied me," the girl told the police interviewer.

She reluctantly described the act, telling the interviewer "I don't like saying those words".

The complainant said she told Spittal he was hurting her during the alleged rape, and he said "I know".

He allegedly stopped once she threatened to tell another adult. She said he then said "F*** you then" and went to sleep.

The next day the girl started to phone a parent to ask to be picked up, when Spittal allegedly attacked her.

"He strangled me and said if I tell anyone he would kill me."

She said he had two hands on her throat for about seven seconds, and she thought she was going to die.

The girl spoke of another occasion where Spittal took her for a driving lesson, and allegedly had her sit on his lap as she pushed the pedals.

She said he touched her between the legs.

Defence lawyer Kevin Smith questioned the complainant about the fact she said the rape happened in 2012. The girl had said there was a man living at Spittal's house at the time, but Mr Smith said that man died in July 2011.

Mr Smith said Spittal had hepatitis C and chlamydia at the time of the alleged rape, and asked the complainant if she had suffered any illness afterwards. She said she did not know.

The complainant agreed she had heard "bad things" about Spittal before the alleged incidents.

The trial continues.