Lawyer highly critical of rape case evidence

WELLINGTON: A lawyer has labelled the evidence of one of the women at the centre of a historical rape trial as ‘‘rubbish’’.

Lawyer Wayne McKean said the complainant gave ‘‘way too much’’ detail about alleged rapes and indecent assaults said to have happened more than 50 years ago.

The evidence was given in a jury trial for Raymond Bradley, a 71yearold man charged with raping and indecently assaulting two girls in Porirua in the 1960s and early ’70s, both of whom were aged under 12 during some of the alleged offending.

The trial began in the Wellington District Court last week. Lawyers were now delivering closing addresses to the jury of seven men and four women.

One juror had to be discharged yesterday due to illness.

Mr McKean said none of the charges relating to the first complainant were accepted, and said while Bradley did have sex with the second complainant, it was consensual.

In his closing, he took aim at the first complainant’s evidence, in which she described in detail bringing a cup of tea to Bradley while he studied at a desk.

Details included remembering seeing the photos and wri ting in his books and trying not to spill the tea, to the type of underwear she was wearing and the feeling of his hands as he touched her.

‘‘This is a 7 or 8yearold girl who would have no understanding of what was happening to her, yet she claims to remember all of that when recalling it after all this time, 60 years later. Rubbish. No way is that possible. I don’t care how good her memory is, that’s not possible. It’s a big signpost pointing away from her version.

‘‘She gets in the video interview and within a few moments says this: ‘I don’t actually remember much about any events in my life’,’’ Mr McKean reminded the jury.

Mr McKean also criticised how long it took for the woman to go to police with her allegations.

‘‘When she tells her husband, she’s got understanding. When she turns 50 and she finds out about [the other complainant], she’s got understanding. Sixteen years after that she still hasn’t gone to the police and she only goes to the police the day [the other complainant] goes to the police.’’

Mr McKean also said when Bradley allegedly confessed to the crimes in a heated phone conversation with his son, he was actually only confessing to consensual sex with the second complainant.

The jury is expected to begin deliberating today. — NZME