Gold for MacGregor, cheap one for wife
Colin Craig’s choice of Christmas gifts and poems have again been under the spotlight at the defamation trial between him and his former press secretary Rachel MacGregor.
Craig and MacGregor are going head-to-head in court, with both suing each other for defamation following the fall out of the 2014 general election.
Yesterday, under cross examination, Craig told the court he and his wife Helen Craig had purchased a silver love heart necklace for MacGregor for Christmas 2011.
At this point, Helen Craig did not know her husband was writing letters to his press secretary, or that they had kissed on the eve of election night, months earlier.
When asked by MacGregor’s lawyer Hayden Wilson if it was appropriate for Craig to purchase an employee a silver heartshaped necklace, Craig said it was because they were friends.
After the 2011 kiss, Craig told the court he had installed ‘‘boundaries’’ and had been careful not to lead MacGregor on or put pressure on her.
‘‘Our discussion, as far as I recalled, went ‘Let’s buy a piece of nice jewellery [for Rachel]’. It was my wife who picked out the actual piece.’’
The following Christmas, Craig purchased a $369 gold charm with MacGregor, while buying his wife a $45 silver charm, the court heard.
In 2013, Craig wrote MacGregor a letter saying he was planning on getting her a ‘‘super gift’’.
Along with his letter, he gave her a Kinfolk magazine and a chewy toy for her dog Stanly.
When pushed by Wilson what the super gift would be, Craig said it was a piece of art – but he never gave the gift to MacGregor.
‘‘The main idea I had was that I was buying some nice painted pictures, there is a place that do replicas or mock ups of very famous paintings, we were ordering some of those for other people as well.
‘‘I was getting one for myself. I thought that would be a good idea, something we talked about a lot was art … I was doing it anyway so it seemed like that might be something good to work in.’’
Craig defended the idea, saying it was OK to write the letters and give gifts because he and MacGregor were ‘‘very close’’.
‘‘I am not writing this because she is an employee, I am writing this because she is a friend, we had a very close relationship. She liked long letters and liked content.’’
Wilson pointed out that despite being so close, MacGregor had not written a letter of reply to Craig.
In his 2013 letter, Craig canvassed a range of things, including the fact there were things he wanted to do, but couldn’t.
‘‘Be gentle with Rachel for she is precious and others have used her. I hope I have been looking after you and being gentle with you,’’ the letter read.
‘‘Hmmmm, not that I want to invite judgment on this but put your mark out of ten here.
‘‘I have enjoyed the travel, the media challenges and the early starts because you have bought [sic] sunshine and fun into each experience.’’
The 2013 letter also had the infamous Two of Us poem, which was later posted on Cameron Slater’s blog, Whale Oil.
‘‘There is only one of me, it’s true. But I wish this were not the case, because I wish I could have you.’’
Later he said: ‘‘You are beautiful because you look unbelievably good in your dress.
‘‘ ... You are beautiful because you have the most perfect … Lol.’’
Under cross examination, Craig conceded that part of the letter could have been seen as inappropriate.
In the letter, Craig also said he hoped the coming year would be a good one.
‘‘I hope 2014 is your greatest year, a year in which you achieve your personal best.
‘‘A year you remember for a lifetime.’’
By the end of 2014, the pair would be embroiled in the fallout of MacGregor resigning two days before the election. National leader Simon Bridges