Name suppression continues in sex case

A prominent Northland man accused of a sex crime has been granted continued interim name suppression, eight months after he first appeared in court.

The man is facing a charge of sexual violation, a representative charge of assaulting a female and two charges of injuring with intent.

The charges date back to January when the man allegedly found his partner in bed with another couple.

A hearing on whether the man should have continued suppression was dismissed after the defence abandoned an appeal to allow matters to be heard in the district court.

The man was granted continued name suppression until the matter is heard.

No date has been set but a district court trial on the matter is set to begin on February 20.

The man was committed for trial after a depositions hearing in June.

At the depositions hearing, a witness said the man attacked his partner after finding her in bed with the witness and her husband.

The witness and her husband had attended a function at the man's address and had decided to spend the night in an outbuilding on the property, believing they had consumed too much alcohol, and the complainant had accompanied them.

The woman had been upset and they had decided to "lie down and cuddle and chat", the witness said.

She said the accused arrived later and had pulled the complainant out of the bed by her hair and headbutted her as they were preparing to leave, causing her to fall on to a drinking glass.

The complainant had phoned the witness the next day alleging her partner had further assaulted and sexually violated her.

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)