Social worker’s sex trial aborted

The jury trial of a social worker charged with having sex with a boy in her care has been aborted at the Auckland District Court just two days after it began.

Alexia Joseph, 30, a former social worker at Auckland’s Waipareira Trust, stood accused of renting a hotel room to have sex with a 15-year-old in her care.

She has pleaded not guilty to a charge of having a sexual connection with a young person, and her jury trial began on Wednesday and was expected to last four days.

Following several adjournments on Friday morning, jury members were told the trial was being aborted and they were being discharged from duty.

Judge Pippa Sinclair said the reason was ‘‘not in any way associated with the defendant,’’ but for ‘‘personal reasons relating to defence counsel’’.

In a formal ruling made after the jury left, she said Joseph’s defence lawyer Paul Pati had indicated to her on Thursday that he was unable to continue the trial.

Rob Stevens from the Public Defence Service told Judge Sinclair they didn’t have the resources to get another lawyer to come to grips with the material in time, and so ‘‘reluctantly’’ Judge Sinclair said she would abort the trial so the defendant’s right to a fair trial wasn’t jeopardised.

She ordered the matter go to a callover date at the Manukau District Court on June 11.

Previously the court heard evidence from the teenager who confessed to his mentor, comedian Mike King, that he and Joseph had gone to a motel following a boozy lunch with her and his mother in September 2013.

King alerted the trust, who interviewed Joseph.

She initially said she had been out with the boy and his mother but dropped them home.

Interviewed by the trust again, Joseph ‘‘changed her story and admitted she had gone to the motel but denied that sex had occurred’’, Murdoch said.

Te Whanau o Waipareira Trust is a West Auckland Urban Maori Authority led by former politician and broadcaster John Tamihere.