I don't think I'm her dad, says incest co-accused

A man accused of an incestuous relationship with his adult daughter has told a court he never had sex with her and he does not think he is her biological father.

The man, who has name suppression, said he had doubts he was the father from the time the baby was conceived in the 1960s because he claims the relationship he had with the child's mother was not exclusive and they were both seeing other people.

The woman the Crown says is his daughter is also on trial at the Auckland District Court, jointly charged with incest.

The prosecution alleges they had a sexual relationship that was incestuous, even though they were both consenting adults.

The man's lawyer, Louise Brown, said the only relationship that existed between the accused was one in which they were caregivers to her children, and business partners. She said they were "soulmates", but there was no sexual relationship.

Ms Brown said the defence case was a simple one - the couple shared a solid, compassionate relationship and that was far more important than sex.

Giving evidence yesterday, the man said he did not tell the woman he had "misgivings" about whether he was her father or not because he did not want to disappoint her.

When she came to Britain to see him she showed him adoption papers that named him as the father.

He took them on face value but did not have "the heart" to tell her what he really thought.

He moved to New Zealand to support her and became joint-owner of the family home.

Asked what he thought about a comment he allegedly made about having mother and daughter together at the same time, he said it was "totally inappropriate" for it to be interpreted that way.

He denied they shared a room. People who thought they were sleeping together "totally misunderstood our relationship".

Prosecutor Scott McColgan asked the accused why he said he was the biological father on immigration forms if he did not believe that he was.

He said it was because he believed it at the time because of the evidence he' had been provided with. The trial continues.