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Allegations of Sexual
Abuse in NZ |
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An emotional Michael
"Mouse" Wilson sobbed in the arms of his employer, shook the hand
of the prosecuting police officer and said "cheers mates" to the
jury after they found him not guilty of rape yesterday. In the New Plymouth District Court
a jury of 10 men and two women took just under 112 hours to acquit the
41-year-old Stratford racing worker on a charge of raping a Stratford woman
on February 22 last year after a night of karaoke and drinking. On hearing the verdict, Wilson's
supporters, who had filled the public gallery for the two-day trial, yelled
"ya ha!", clapped loudly and several wept with relief. After Wilson hugged his employer,
horse trainer Dick Bothwell, he walked across the courtroom and shook the
hand of the detective, telling him he had no hard feelings. "You were only doing your
job," Wilson said to him. Outside court, Wilson said the
experience was life-changing for him. But he fully supported police taking
rape cases to court when they received complaints. "I've been through s..t. It's
been a whole year of my life. From now on I'm going to stay off the alcohol.
It's going to be ginger beer in future. "The cops have done a bloody
good job. I was innocent and I stuck to my guns and just spoke the
truth." Mr Bothwell said through his tears
that justice was done. Earlier, Judge Allan Roberts told
the jury that the case came down to one of consent. The Crown must prove that the
accused had an intention to have non-consensual intercourse. The Crown had contended the
complainant was not in a position to consent, that she was either drunk,
asleep or ill. The accused contended that he was approached by this
complainant and invited into the bedroom. "They both can't be
right," the judge said. The Crown had argued the
complainant, who said she had earlier drunk a lot and smoked cannabis, was
woken by the accused on top of her, having sex with her against her will. Defence counsel Patrick Mooney had
argued a conviction would be an injustice. Wilson was an honest man while the
complainant was not a reliable witness, he said. After the verdict, the judge
thanked the jury, saying it was not easy to sit in judgment of another human
being. Judge Roberts said he realised the
financial return for the jurors was "very, very small" and that the
inconvenience to their lives was probably significant. But without them "this system
could not operate", Judge Roberts said. |
