KEY POINTS:
A Whangarei woman has denied stalking the man she had a two- year affair with.
Kirsten Symes, 22, was due to find out today whether a jury believes her or 59-year-old David Smith.
She has pleaded not guilty to 13 charges of breaching a protection order between April and November 2005. Eight of the charges allege Symes either followed Mr Smith in her car, accosted him or phoned him over that period.
The remaining charges relate to incidents involving Symes and Mr Smith's wife.
Her trial in Whangarei District Court was expected to end today. The court has been told that Symes had a two-year affair with Mr Smith which ended in late December 2004 when he broke it off after his wife found out.
Mr Smith in his evidence said he was aware of the significant age gap between he and Symes and tried to end the affair after four months but claims Symes wouldn't allow him to.
The defence have dismissed that claim saying Mr Smith could have easily ended the relationship but he didn't want to.
Yesterday, Symes told the court she saw Mr Smith in January 2005 when he told her they needed to wait a month and let things settle down.
She said Mr Smith rang her on several occasions after the relationship had ended but they didn't meet up again until 11 February 2005. Symes said after that encounter she decided she would not see him again and went to Mr Smith's work to tell him that.
She then went to see Mr Smith's wife who invited her in for a drink. Symes said the pair where talking when Mr Smith arrived home.
He was angry and Symes said she ran out of the house and was chased by Mr Smith who picked up a chair and threw it at her. She then alleged Mr Smith threw a rock at her car causing $440 damage.
Symes said the only reason she continued to phone Mr Smith after that was to get him to pay for the panel beating repairs.
In cross- examination Symes agreed with crown prosecutor Grant Anson that she had spoken to Mr Smith on 22 February last year.
She agreed Mr Smith had begged her to leave him alone but later told her lawyer Roger Bowden she was only ringing him over getting her car fixed.
The jury were to hear Judge Keith de Ridder's summing up today before retiring to begin their deliberations.
- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)
