KEY POINTS:
A suspended police recruit opted to give evidence in his own defence today, denying under oath any involvement in strangling a Christchurch prostitute unconscious and sexually violating her.
The 33-year-old recruit, who has interim name suppression, admitted picking up prostitute Jaqueline Howat on Christchurch's Manchester St red light district early on March 15, 2003.
Judge Abbott today told the jury that after hearing legal argument in chambers yesterday he had amended one of the charges the accused faces to remove the element of rape.
He said the Crown had failed to produce evidence of penile rape.
The accused is now charged with wounding Ms Howat with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, sexually violating her, and an alternative charge of assaulting her with intent to commit sexual violation.
In Christchurch District Court today he told Judge Murray Abbott and a jury of eight women and four men that he had left after paying Ms Howat for consensual sex and knew nothing of the attack on her at her Stanmore Rd flat that morning.
"No, absolutely not," the accused said when he was asked by defence lawyer James Rapley if he was responsible for Ms Howat's injuries.
"I've never done that to a woman in my life. It's just not in my nature."
He said he had some sympathy for Ms Howat who must have had a "horrible" experience.
"I did not do that to her," he said. "I could not do that to her."
- NZPA
