Jury out in indecent assault trial

A jury is deliberating following the trial of a man accused of kissing, biting and touching a woman against her will.

It is alleged Ricky Marsters, 38, lured a woman into his car under the promise of a safe ride after the pair met at the Oxford Hotel, in Levin, on April 8, 2018.

Crown lawyer Guy Carter said in his closing address in the Palmerston North District Court yesterday that Marsters had driven the woman to two separate locations, where he forced himself on her.

The woman was scared, disgusted and distraught when Marsters finally dropped her near her mother’s Horowhenua home about two hours later, Carter said.

When the police came knocking, Marsters denied any wrongdoing. Instead, he said the pair were embroiled in a heated argument outside the pub and she had made the allegations up as revenge.

He denied driving the woman to the Levin netball courts and Lake Horowhenua, where he is said to have assaulted her.

Earlier in the day, Marsters gave evidence that the altercation occurred when he returned to his vehicle to check on a drunk mate.

‘‘There was a woman leaning over the car. I approached her and said: ‘Why are you in our car? Why are you helping yourself to our alcohol?’ ’’

He said it was at this point the woman threw a bottle at him. In retaliation, Marsters spat and pushed her away. ‘‘That was the last time I spoke to her.’’

Carter said there were several inaccuracies in Marsters’ story, such as the unexplained time it took him to get home following the bar’s closure at 1am. Despite driving two friends to a nearby park, it took Marsters more than 90 minutes to get home.

Security footage had shown no altercation between Marsters and the woman, and the witnesses had supported that.

Defence lawyer Penelope Walker said Marsters had never changed his story.

‘‘His version of events has stayed the same and he denies all events.’’

Walker said it was strange that Marsters’ DNA was found on one breast, and not the other, saying it was consistent with his account of pushing the woman on her left side and spitting on her.