|
Waikato Times
April 1, 2004
Woman wanted compo: witness
by Catherine Hutton
A Ngaruawahia woman who has accused another woman of
sexually violating her talked about getting $10,000 compensation from ACC for
the alleged assault, a witness told the Hamilton District Court yesterday.
The witness helped the woman, whose name is automatically suppressed, move
into Donelle Ida Herewini's house just days before the alleged incident on
May 25, 2002.
Herewini has denied charges of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection
and assault.
The Crown says that on the night of the alleged incident Herewini went into
the woman's room and tried to sexually violate her and that when she
resisted, Herewini bit her ear.
Herewini claims the woman came into her room and tried to sexually violate
her. The witness told the court the woman arrived at his house on the morning
of May 26, distressed and upset.
She said Herewini had assaulted her in a physical and sexual way. Her ear
appeared swollen and she was crying, he said.
Two or three days later she told the witness another friend had removed a
fingernail from her back. The witness told her that was compelling DNA
evidence that could link the woman to the crime and police would be very
interested in it.
The witness said she also happily talked about $10,000 compensation she could
receive from ACC, which she knew about, because she had made a similar
complaint against her uncle.
He said she rubbed her hands together and said "$10,000, I can do a lot
with that".
Under cross-examination by prosecutor Jacinda Foster, the witness agreed that
he did not tell police about the fingernail or the compensation, despite
giving an eight-page statement on July 17, 2002, which included details of
bruising he had never seen.
He said the woman had told him not to mention the possible compensation. He
also said that the morning after the alleged incident he and the victim
barely discussed the alleged incident because she was too distressed to talk
about it.
The jury was expected to retire today.
Waikato Times
March 31, 2004
Sex attack by woman alleged
A Ngaruawahia home executive who allegedly sexually
violated another woman and then bit her ear when she rejected her advances is
on trial in the Hamilton District Court.
Donelle Ida Herewini, 37, has denied charges of sexual violation by unlawful
sexual connection and assault.
Crown prosecutor Jacinda Foster told the jury Herewini became friends with
the woman before the alleged incident on May 25, 2002. That night the woman
had babysat for Herewini, who was at a neighbour's place drinking alcohol and
smoking cannabis.
When Ms Herewini came home around midnight she went to the woman's bedroom,
got on top of her victim, and attempted to sexually violate her, Ms Foster
said.
When the woman protested the Crown says Herewini bit her ear and made threats
before leaving the bedroom.
The trial before Judge MacLean was expected to finish today.
|
