KEY POINTS:
A sleeping disorder will play a crucial part in the defence of a former Auckland camp leader accused of sex crimes against boys, a court has heard.
Neville Cyril Collins is standing trial on 37 charges of sexual offending and assault against six boys between 1984 and 1998.
The High Court at Rotorua heard yesterday that the 44-year-old married father of two suffers from a sleeping disorder that involves thrashing, sleep-walking and holding complete conversations in his sleep.
Collins is denying the abuse, including allegations of sodomy and sexual violation, and in opening the defence case his lawyer, Matthew Ward-Johnson, said evidence would be called about the sleeping disorder.
"You may find it comical but it is a very important part of this trial," Mr Ward-Johnson told the jury.
Collins allegedly abused four boys while a leader at a Boys' Brigade camp at Piha and a training camp called Exercise Novice Warrior at Waiouru.
He befriended the other two complainants and their parents when working as a security guard and at St John.
All the alleged offending began when the boys were aged between 11 and 13 and, in many instances, were sleeping next to Collins.
Five of the complainants, all of whom are now adults, recall his making the sleeping arrangements.
The incidents allegedly happened at locations around the North Island, including on camps, in cars and at houses where Collins lived.
The Crown is arguing Collins groomed the boys for "homosexual paedophilic behaviour", exploiting shared interests in the outdoors and his position as a camp leader.
Collins took the stand in his own defence yesterday, but Justice Pamela Andrews would not allow him to give evidence about the sleeping disorder after objections from Crown prosecutor Rob Ronayne.
Instead, Collins will call experts and his wife to provide testimony on the disorder today.
However, under cross-examination, he claimed to suffer from a disorder that involved moving and holding conversations in his sleep, saying two of the complainants and others had made him aware of it.
"[They] just turn round and say, 'We give you a nudge and you shut up and roll over'," he said.
Mr Ronayne responded by asking Collins if he had ever driven a car or sexually assaulted his wife while asleep. Collins replied no.
He claimed all six complainants, including two who wept when they gave evidence last week, were lying about the abuse.
"My case is that they've blown things out of proportion," he said.
"There's no way I would partake in such filth or disgust."
He said mothers of two of the alleged victims who also testified had not lied but simply listened to their children.
In relation to allegations that he assaulted two of the boys by giving them "dead legs" and placing hot spoons on their arms and necks, he said it was "a playful thing, no harm meant, that we would do".
The trial is expected to end tomorrow.
NEVILLE CYRIL COLLINS
* Former Boys' Brigade leader and St John ambulance officer
* Denies abusing six boys over a 14-year period
* Faces 25 charges of indecent assault, six charges of sexual violation, three of assault, two of attempted indecent assault, and one of performing an indecent act
* Plans to call evidence of a sleeping disorder from which he says he suffers.
