• The musician was found guilty of two family violence charges but acquitted of nine others.
• The jury found he bit his ex-girlfriend and used a plastic bottle as a weapon.
• Judge Simon Lance allowed interim name suppression; sentencing is scheduled for next month.

A prominent Kiwi musician accused of abusing his ex-girlfriend over a prolonged period has been found guilty of two charges but acquitted of nine others.

The defendant, who is in his 50s, wore maroon Converse shoes and stood in the dock with his white dress shirt untucked and his hands crossed at his waist as the jury foreman announced the unanimous verdicts. They followed just over three hours of deliberations.

Jurors found that he bit his then-partner’s forearm on one occasion and used a plastic bottle as a weapon against her on another. But he was found not guilty of a range of other accusations that included strangulation, threatening to kill her and punching her ear.

Auckland District Court Judge Simon Lance allowed the defendant to retain interim name suppression for the time being, with a permanent suppression hearing scheduled for the same day as his sentencing next month.

Crown prosecutor Emma Barnes has voiced opposition to continuing suppression.

Defence lawyer Susan Gray asked the judge not to immediately enter convictions for her client. Given the lower gravity of the charges her client was found guilty of, she wanted an opportunity to consider applying for a discharge without conviction, she said.

The musician’s trial began last week with not guilty pleas to all charges, which related to alleged interactions between late 2022 and late 2023.

The prosecution argued he physically and psychologically abused the complainant, whereas the defence said the woman, in her late 20s, initiated the aggression and he only used force in self-defence.

The jury heard evidence from both the complainant and the defendant – each of whom alleged the other initiated physical aggression and had been controlling over social media.

The complainant said the musician first strangled her when they were on a trip to Bali after she posted a bikini photo on Instagram.

“He grabbed me by the neck, and I think he jammed my arm in the door and I hit my head on the doorframe and I scratched him at some point during this,” she said.

“I was scared.”

During the relationship, she said she felt like there was an unfair power dynamic between the pair because of his job and because he was more than 20 years her senior.

She said his role as a musician impacted their relationship.

“He would always tie [his successful music career] in with, ‘You’ll never do better than me‘.”

In a recording played in court earlier this week, the defendant told the complainant to go “f*** yourself”.

He said in the audio that she still hadn’t deleted her Instagram account like she said she would and whenever they tried to talk she would have a meltdown.

The complainant alleged she had to delete her Instagram to prove to him she wasn’t a “ho”, however, the defence argued she also didn’t want him following women on social media.

In the recording, the man said he had given the complainant a chance to show him things would be different but they lasted “four days”.

“I gave you a f***ing chance, you haven’t changed, you never will change.”

The man said things got heated between them as their relationship progressed and he said things he regretted.

“I’ve called her a b****, I’ve called her a c*** etc, obviously I’m not proud of that.”

He disputed allegations that there had been a power imbalance, saying they were both adults, and said he had never called himself a “rock star” as had been claimed.

The musician said early in their relationship it became apparent she had “quite volatile mood swings”.

“She would lose her temper quite easily.”

He said she had attacked him in Bali after she had handed over her phone to look through then changed her mind and wanted it back.

While he said some of the charges related to actions he took in self-defence, the defence alleges others never occurred.

The man claimed that during one incident she lunged at him and ripped his shirt as he ran away to the bathroom.

Texts showing the complainant sending a message with a single question mark dozens of times, filling up more than nine A4 pages of court documents, and others criticising his female friends were also shown to the court.

“He would do the same to me,” the complainant said in relation to the “bombarding” texts.

Yesterday, the defence called one of the woman’s other ex-partners to the witness box.

He told the court that when he was in a relationship with the woman, she was controlling about social media and had punched him “out of the blue”.

He claimed she had an issue with him having female friends on social media and would at times “bombard” him with calls and texts.

The complainant accepted her emotions would “skyrocket” over the small things during that relationship and she would be “extremely jealous” of his female friendships.

She confirmed on one occasion she did punch him in the nose, but alleged it occurred after he had cheated on her and he had given her permission to do so.

“Regardless, I did punch him and that’s not okay.”

The complainant said she would bombard him with calls but it occurred when he had been smoking methamphetamine for three or four days and she wanted to speak to him.

He denied smoking methamphetamine or cheating on her.

Three of the charges were alleged to have occurred on Boxing Day 2023.

The assault without a weapon is punishable by up to five years' imprisonment, while assault without a weapon carries a maximum sentence of two years.

Threatening to kill, threatening to do grievous bodily harm and impeding normal breathing would have each carried a maximum sentence of five years' imprisonment had he been found guilty.

Katie Harris is an Auckland-based journalist who covers social issues including sexual assault, workplace misconduct, media, crime and justice. She joined the Heraldin 2020.

Craig Kapitanis an Auckland-based journalist covering courts and justice. He joined the Herald in 2021 and has reported on courts since 2002 in three newsrooms in the US and New Zealand.

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FAMILY VIOLENCE

How to get help:If you’re in danger now: • Phone the police on 111 or ask neighbours or friends to ring for you.• Run outside and head for where there are other people. Scream for help so your neighbours can hear you.
• Take the children with you. Don’t stop to get anything else.
• If you are being abused, remember it’s not your fault. Violence is never okay.
Where to go for help or more information or to find out about donating to other organisations::• Women’s Refuge: Crisis line - 0800 REFUGE or 0800 733 843 (available 24/7)
• Shine: Helpline - 0508 744 633 (available 24/7)
• It’s Not Ok: Family violence information line - 0800 456 450
• Shakti: Specialist services for African, Asian and Middle Eastern women and children.
• Crisis line - 0800 742 584 (available 24/7)
• Ministry of Justice: For information on family violence
• Te Kupenga Whakaoti Mahi Patunga: National Network of Family Violence Services
• White Ribbon: Aiming to eliminate men’s violence towards women.
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