4 Mar 2019

High-profile New Zealander on trial accused of indecent assault

12:55 pm on 4 March 2019

A prominent New Zealander facing sexual assault charges is on trial this week.

Signage outside the Auckland District Court

The trial of three men is taking place at Auckland District Court. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly

The man, whose identity is currently supressed, is standing trial in the Auckland District Court after pleading not guilty to two charges each of of indecent assault and attempting to dissuade a witness.

He is on trial with two other men who face one and three charges of attempting to dissuade a witness respectively.

The high-profile New Zealander is accused of indecently assaulting two men in February 2008 and October 2016.

He is further charged with two charges of attempting to dissuade a witness from giving evidence in his trial in April and May of 2017.

All three defendants pleaded not guilty to each of the charges this morning.

The Crown - whose case will be led by Simon Foote and Henry Benson-Pope - is set to call 20 witnesses, including a number of detectives.

The trial before Judge Russell Collins and a jury of seven women and five men is set down for four weeks.