Alleged victim high on meth at the time

Pita Wilson (left) and Mark Taylor appear in court in Queenstown on Tuesday. Photo by staff...
Pita Wilson (left) and Mark Taylor appear in court in Queenstown on Tuesday. Photo by staff photographer.
The alleged victim of a kidnapping and prolonged assault in Queenstown in late 2014 has admitted to being high on methamphetamine at the time.

During cross-examination on the first day of a jury trial in the Invercargill District Court yesterday, Joseph Armstrong said he had been a regular user of the drug. Although he was now clean, the drug affected his memory and made him paranoid.

Armstrong was the first witness to give evidence in the trial of two men and a woman in relation to the alleged kidnapping in Queenstown 18 months ago.

Presided over by Judge Brian Callaghan, the trial is being heard before a jury of six men and six women.

Pita William Wilson (39), stonemason, of Glenorchy, and Mark Junior Taylor (19), of Bluff, are jointly charged with kidnapping Armstrong, Andrew Lee and Casey Johnston on November 25, 2014. Wilson and Taylor are jointly charged with injuring Mr Armstrong with intent to injure.

Wilson is also charged with supplying class A-controlled methamphetamine to Armstrong, Lee and Johnston on November 25 and November 26, 2014, in Queenstown.

The third accused, Amanda Jane Nicolls (45), manager, of Frankton, denies attempting to assist Wilson in order for him to avoid arrest, knowing he had committed the crime of kidnapping, on December 3, 2014, in Queenstown.

Mary-Jane Thomas is appearing for the Crown, assisted by Mitchell McClenaghan.

The prosecution alleges Armstrong suffered a "prolonged assault'' at the hands of Wilson and Glenorchy man Joshua Veint at Armstrong's cabin in the Lakeview Holiday Park in Queenstown.

When he refused to admit sleeping with Wilson's girlfriend, he was repeatedly punched in the head and suffered knife wounds to his hands, while Taylor acted to ensure others in the cabin did not intervene, Mr McClenaghan said.

Veint has pleaded guilty to kidnapping Armstrong and injuring him with intent to injure.

Mr McClenaghan said Nicolls sent Wilson two text messages a week after the event warning him the police were looking for him.

Wilson's counsel, John Westgate, told the jury his client "became physically involved'' with Armstrong but likened it to "a bit of a wrestling match''.

The injuries Armstrong had suffered were "hopelessly exaggerated''.

Mr Westgate said Armstrong, Lee and Johnston were not kidnapped.

"They had access to cellphones. Two of them went to work the next day.''

Taylor's counsel, David Slater, said there had been no physical contact between Taylor and Armstrong. It had been Veint, not Taylor, who told Armstrong and Lee they were not allowed to leave the cabin.

Nicolls' counsel, Louise Denton, told the jury the Crown had misinterpreted the text messages Nicolls sent Wilson.

"Her intentions the entire time were to assist the police.''

Giving evidence, Armstrong said he was severely beaten by Wilson and Veint over a two- or three-hour period .

Asked by Ms Thomas to rate the punches on a scale where a gentle slap was a 1 and a punch by a professional heavyweight boxer was a 10, Armstrong said they were a 10.

He finally told Wilson he had slept with his girlfriend "just to make it stop''.

Some time after the assault, everyone in the cabin, including himself, had smoked methamphetamine, but he could not recall who supplied the drug.

The following morning he went with the group to Wilson's house in Frankton, and later was driven by Wilson to Invercargill.

The pair spent one or two nights there before returning to Queenstown, where Wilson dropped him home. A friend called the police soon after.

Under cross-examination by Mr Westgate, Armstrong agreed he had not mentioned being assaulted by Veint in a statement to police on December 28.

"Your memory is just hopeless because you were addicted to meth,'' Mr Westgate said.

"You're just making this up as you go along.''

Armstrong said he no longer used meth and had been able to think more clearly about the events.

A Lakes District Hospital doctor who examined Armstrong a few days after the incident found no broken bones in his face or damage to his teeth, Mr Westgate said. The doctor reported swelling and black eyes, which was consistent with being "hit a few times''.

Cross-examination of Armstrong resumes this morning.

 

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