Woman had 'hots for me' says pack-rape accused

A man accused of pack-raping a woman at Mount Maunganui 16 years ago, said today he was flattered that she "had the hots" for him.

The 47-year-old is the second of four men accused of raping a 20-year-old woman in January 1989 to give evidence in a trial before the High Court at Wellington.
The identity of the accused and many elements of the case are suppressed.

The man, who was 31 at the time, has pleaded not guilty to charges of abduction, two counts of rape and two counts of unlawful sexual connection.

He today denied the woman's claims he forced her to have oral sex and brutally violated her with a large object. Details of the object are also suppressed.

The man told the court he met the woman three or four times before the alleged pack-rape through his work duties.

"I was attracted to her. There was certainly a lot of chemistry between us both, and she was attracted to me."

The woman had urged a mutual work associate to set up a lunch time rendezvous in an empty building, he said.

She had suggested she was keen to have group sex with him and one or two other men.

The woman, now 37 and living in Australia, alleges the men lured her into the building on the promise of a lunch date with the 47-year-old accused.

She has told the court, she had her hands bound and was raped by the men.

The four accused say the group sex was consensual and the woman was never restrained.

- NZPA