KEY POINTS:
A prominent Northland businessman today entered guilty pleas to two charges of assaulting a female.
The man, whose name is suppressed, was due to stand trial on eight counts including two charges of threatening to kill.
However, at his arraignment in Whangarei District Court today the man entered the two guilty pleas and the Crown prosecutor offered no evidence on the remaining six counts, including a charge of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection.
The prosecutor said the Crown was forced to drop the charges after the complainant said that given the length of time since the alleged January 2005 incident she felt "for her own well-being" that she was no longer in a position to give evidence.
The man's lawyer John Haigh QC told the court he was "a little surprised" that the charges had been dropped but said the man had always denied the alleged offences.
The man was remanded on bail by Judge Michael Lance and will return to court for sentencing tomorrow.
The man faced a further three charges - on a separate indictment - but it is expected those charges will also be dropped tomorrow.
The issue of name suppression will also be revisited at Wednesday's hearing.
