By Charlotte Webster-
A man charged with raping several Wellington women was a victim of a malicious social media campaign that had spiralled out of control, his lawyer says.
Sam Campbell, told a Wellington District Court judge on Tuesday that the allegation against his client was based on untruth, gossip and rumour.
The 25-year-old is facing eight charges of rape, unlawful sexual connection and indecent assault.
Allegations about the man’s behaviour were made via social media in 2020, leading to several women making formal complaints to police about similar sexual assaults on them, eventually sparking a police investigation.
He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. The court has granted the suppression of his name until the end of the trial.
“The Crown case is that on each occasion the defendant has taken advantage of the complainant who at the time was either asleep or affected by alcohol … by initiating and then continuing sexual activity with them and they were not in a position to consent. He was well aware of that and continued,” Feltham said.
She said the alleged incidents involving six women took place at properties after nights out in town or parties, between 2017 and 2020.
The first complainant outlined in a video shown to the jury how the accused attended a party she threw with a friend for their birthdays.
She said she didn’t know the accused but he attended the party with a friend.
Some people came back to the complainant’s house to sleep at hers after her mum had already picked her up from the party because she was drunk.
This included the defendant, who was meant to be sleeping in the lounge, but entered the complainant’s bedroom and allegedly raped her while she was passed out in her bed.
The complainant said it was painful and the accused was violent during the act, later adding he shoved her neck into the pillow.
The next day, she says the accused messaged her to thank her for the night.
She ended up blocking him on social media and stopping all contact, she said.
All of the six women will give evidence in the trial, which is set down for seven days.
The Crown will call on 19 witnesses in total.
Campbell said he would explain how the accused met these women and how they ended up sleeping with him and having consensual sex with him.
He said many of them were going to parties, drinking, having a good time and sometimes taking drugs and having sex.
“There is no judgement of their experience. It was simply a time these young people had exploring themselves and the world around them.”
Campbell said it was safe to say people had experimented with sex, alcohol and drugs since time immemorial.
The accused has begun telling the jury of coming to New Zealand with his family and how he met the women involved.
He said he met one of the women, complainant A, at a party and they hit it off. They were talking during the party and he and some others were able to stay at her home for the night. He said he did not remember that she was very drunk.
At her home he met her in the hallway and she took him to her bedroom where they had sex.
He denied holding her down or putting a hand on her neck.
“That’s not my kink,” he said.
The trial is expected to finish this week.
Sexual violation carries a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment, while indecent assault carries seven years.