Soldier accused of violating woman

‘‘There was a friend request on Facebook from him and a message request from him that said ‘hey, are you OK?’’’ Alleged violation victim

A female soldier who says she was sexually violated by a male colleague described how helpless she felt as the man touched her.

Giving evidence in the Palmerston North District Court yesterday, the woman said she was on a couch at a friend’s place, when she felt Glynn Pukerau Newton move towards her.

He later sent her a message after the incident asking if she was OK, the court heard.

Newton, an army gunner, is on trial for indecent assault and sexual violation via unlawful sexual connection, and has pleaded not guilty to both charges.

The alleged victim said Newton was talking to her at Palmerston North pub The Daily one night in October 2016 and said he remembered her from a course at Waiouru, but she did not remember him. Newton was 29 at the time.

When they left The Daily, the woman and a friend went to another soldier’s house. Newton also went along. There, the alleged victim said she was on a couch under a blanket in the lounge when she felt Newton move closer to her.

She said she froze and didn’t know what to do when she felt his hand touching her. ‘‘I can remember trying to move up a bit. I was trying to make [him] aware I was trying to move away.’’

At the house, the Crown says Newton sexually violated the woman. With her face hidden under a blanket, she texted her friend to come and get her and they left to catch a taxi.

Newton followed, asking if he could share the taxi. Inside the cab, the alleged victim pretended to sleep to avoid talking to him.

She woke when they were returned to their accommodation and said her friend looked really angry and told her she saw Newton put his hand on her lap. ‘‘I was really scared. I was on edge,’’ the alleged victim said.

She went to sleep and in the morning and woke to a message from Newton. ‘‘There was a friend request on Facebook from him and a message request from him that said ‘hey, are you OK?’’’ The friend request was later deleted.

Defence lawyer Steve Winter asked the woman if she told Newton to ‘‘go away I’m not interested’’ at The Daily.

She said she hadn’t. Winter also wondered why her text messages from the soldier’s house asked her friend to call a taxi, but did not say ‘‘come and get this guy away from me’’.

Winter further questioned if the woman said anything to Newton at the house, such as ‘‘get away from me, I don’t like that, stop doing it’’.

The alleged victim confirmed nothing like that was said.

In the taxi, the alleged victim said she gave Newton the impression she was not happy with his behaviour.

She agreed with Winter that there was some friendly discussion between her, Newton and her friend in the taxi home.

Crown prosecutor Michael Blaschke told the jury the woman’s night out started with friends. They were drinking in town and met up with other mates from the army, who Newton was drinking with.

In his opening statement, Winter said it was up to the jury to ask important questions about the case. ‘‘Please pay really close attention to what was happening and later we will speak to you about why.’’

The trial continues in front of Judge Stephanie Edwards and a jury.