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A jury considering whether an Auckland school teacher committed sex offences against seven teenage girls between 2002 and 2006 will resume deliberations today after retiring last night without reaching a verdict.
Heremia Smith, 30, formerly head of Maori studies at Glenfield College, has been on trial at Auckland District Court facing one charge of sexual violation, 11 charges of indecent assault of a girl aged between 12 and 16, and two charges of sexual conduct with a person under 16.
The jury retired for the night at 9pm, 4-1/2 hours after it began deliberating its verdict on what was the ninth day of the trial.
Jurors asked Judge Jacqueline Bouchier what the elements of the indecent assault charges were at 9pm while indicating they would not reach a verdict last night. They will resume deliberations at 9am.
The offences were all alleged to have occurred between 2002 and 2006 against seven girls.
Six of the complainants were pupils at the college while the seventh was the complainant in four of the charges, including the most serious sexual violation charge.
Smith, who gave evidence in his defence during the trial, denied all the charges and said nothing improper happened.
- NZPA
