‘Emotional affair’ but no harassment — Craig’s wife
Colin Craig’s wife says her husband’s “emotional affair” with his former press secretary crossed lines but there was no sexual harassment.
“My full name is Helen Ruth Craig,” she told the High Court at Auckland yesterday.
She had been asked by her husband of 27 years to confirm her identity before she began testifying about her life with the former Conservative Party leader and his relationship with Rachel MacGregor.
“My husband has not made many mistakes . . . when he does it always catches me by surprise,” she said.
Craig and MacGregor are suing each other for defamation.
After Craig became Conservative Party leader, MacGregor was hired as his press secretary in 2011.
“By 2012 it was obvious to me Colin and Rachel were close and working closely together,” Helen Craig said.
So she penned a letter “outlining the rules of their relationship”.
MacGregor, later giving evidence in her own defence, said the relationship became uneasy when Craig began writing “inappropriate” poems and requesting more back rubs.
Often his messages ended with “YAWAB” (you are wonderful and beautiful), the court heard.
“It’s quite nice being told all these nice things about you,” MacGregor said.
However, before the 2014 election, Helen Craig said Craig told her MacGregor “appeared to be having a meltdown”. MacGregor would soon quit as press secretary.
“She admitted to me she had been having emotional affairs [with my husband],” Helen Craig said.
She would later also learn her husband had kissed MacGregor and touched her breasts on election night 2011.
MacGregor said she kissed her boss back.
Helen Craig said: “I was not happy with Colin that he promised Rachel not to tell me about the election-night incident.
“It was obvious to me that Colin and Rachel had become too close and lines had been crossed on occasions,” she said.
“I have always known that the relationship was mutual and did not involve sexual harassment.”
The trial, due to last two weeks, continues.