Sex worker allegedly raped

A sex worker says she yelled, pushed and stabbed a client with her thumbs after he ignored her attempts to withdraw consent.

But Norman Ariate Alonzo denies being told to stop, saying the woman had fabricated the story and enjoyed having passionate sex with him.

Alonzo, who moved to New Zealand from the Philippines, is standing trial in the Palmerston North District Court, where he faces a charge of rape.

The Crown alleges he visited Palmerston North brothel Roxannes with a group of friends shortly after 3am on September 9, 2017. It was his third visit, having had sex with the woman on two previous occasions.

Initially, the woman didn’t recognise Alonzo, but quickly realised he was a previous client because he asked about her kids and a recent holiday, which were fake stories she told each client as a conversation starter.

They went to one of the eight private rooms, where Alonzo showered and initiated sex.

At some point, the woman noticed the condom had fallen off and she asked Alonzo to stop so she could retrieve another. Instead, he continued to have sex for about 10 seconds, the Crown says.

The woman jabbed her thumbs into Alonzo’s throat and hit him across the face.

She ran out of the room, told her manager and waited in the bathroom until police arrived.

Yesterday, the woman told the court the incident had prompted her to leave the sex industry and left her feeling angry and scared. ‘‘It didn’t feel right, so I felt, and there was no condom. I told him to stop and get off, and he wouldn’t get off.

‘‘I didn’t mind stopping and then starting again. I was shaking and angry, and I just wanted to go home. I said: ‘You know the rules’.

‘‘Then, he said what I had done, hitting him, was abuse.’’

Wearing condoms was compulsory at Roxannes.

Defence lawyer Fergus Steedman said the jury would decide who was lying.

‘‘The bottom line is this – this trial is going to be all about credibility. It will not be about morality. You will have to decide, at some point, who is lying.’’

Crown prosecutor Emma Pairman said wearing the condom was an ‘‘integral’’ part of the woman’s consent. ‘‘These rules are explained to them before anything starts. That was the fundamental condition of having sex that night.

‘‘It became rape when, during sex, the complainant said ‘no’ and the defendant refused to stop.’’

The trial continues.