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Allegations of Abuse
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Tea Ropati - League Star accused
of rape |
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Otago Daily Times AUCKLAND: The first time alleged
rapist Tea Ropati’s wife heard of sex charges against her husband was the day
he called her from Auckland Central Police Station, a district court jury
heard yesterday. Vanessa Ropati said her initial
reaction was to consider the phone call - which came weeks after the alleged
offences happened - as a joke typical of Ropati’s sense of humour. Mrs Ropati told defence lawyer
Gary Gotleib the couple had argued - and Ropati had left the house - in the
hours before he allegedly sexually violated and raped a 36-year-old woman. The couple - who each have
children from previous relationships - had ‘‘a bit of a disagreement over
parenting issues’’ on the evening of June 14, 2006, she said. ‘‘It was a heated argument, where
neither of us was going to back down.’’ Ropati has three sons and Mrs
Ropati has a 9-year-old son. The couple also have an infant daughter
together, the court was told. The couple had shared a bottle of
wine that evening, and Ropati ‘‘might’’ have had a couple of beers, Mrs
Ropati said. She later told Crown prosecutor
Phil Hamlin she understood Ropati had left the house to meet with a friend
and ‘‘to get away from the argument, probably’’. The Crown alleges Ropati ended up
at a bar in Auckland’s Ponsonby Rd, where he met the complainant. The woman had
been drinking at the bar with a group of friends which included fashion
designer Adrian Hailwood. Ropati is alleged to have
attempted to sexually violate the woman in a back room of the bar, then later
raped and sexually violated her at nearby Victoria Park. He is denying a total of six
charges. Mrs Ropati told the court she had
first met her husband 12 years ago, but it was not until eight years later
that the couple embarked on ‘‘a wonderful romance’’. The couple had married on
Valentine’s Day, 2006, four months to the day before the June 14 row, the
court heard. Mrs Ropati said she found it
‘‘quite astounding’’ the way her husband had been portrayed as sleazy in the
media over the past week. A woman who was at the bar on the
night of the alleged incident gave defence evidence yesterday. She told the court she had come
forward to reject publicly allegations made earlier in the trial that Ropati
was being ‘‘sleazy’’. The woman — who was granted name
suppression — said she had spoken with Ropati more than once that night, and
found him friendly. Mr Hamlin — in crossexamination —
played bar security footage showing a woman he said could be the witness
talking with Ropati during the evening. He also had played to the court
footage of the bar patron being followed into the female toilets by Ropati. The woman told the court she could
not recall the incident. Well-known former league stars
Dean Lonergan and Tawera Nikau were among witnesses to give character
evidence for Ropati. Mr Lonergan described his friend
of 23 years as being of a ‘‘gentle nature’’ and ‘‘respectful’’ to women, who
liked him. ‘‘You just have to look at him.
He’s a strong, athletic, goodlooking guy.’’ Ropati had appeared in
Lonergan-organised Fight for Life charity events, but often needed to be
‘‘worked up’’ to fight, Mr Lonergan said. Tawera Nikau — who played rugby
league with, and against, Ropati in New Zealand, Australia and Britain — said
he ‘‘wholeheartedly’’ rejected any suggestion Ropati was sleazy or predatory
around women. He said Ropati was a goodlooking
man who was often approached by women. Both men had worked together on
charity work for atrisk youth since retiring from league, Mr Nikau told the
court. The defence case is expected to
continue from noon on Tuesday.
Vanessa Ropati leaves the Auckland
District Court, where she yesterday gave evidence in the case of her husband,
former Warriors and rugby league international Tea Ropati, who is on trial
for rape Photo: The NZ Herald |
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