Robert Anthony Scott. PHOTO: ODT FILES A Dunedin businessman says a video of him allegedly raping a woman was taken as part of a ‘‘long-term plan to extort’’ him. Robert Anthony Scott, 69, is on trial before the Dunedin District Court after pleading not guilty to six charges of rape, two of indecent assault, sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection and three charges of assaulting a female. One rape charge was dismissed yesterday after the Crown opted not to pursue it. In his closing address yesterday, Crown prosecutor Craig Power argued the jury should believe the complainant’s evidence. ‘‘She was an open, honest , forthright, credible and reliable witness,’’ he said. He pointed to the ‘‘compelling’’ and ‘‘confronting’’ videos played to the jury, allegedly showing him raping and indecently assaulting her. In one of the videos the complainant could be heard saying ‘‘I can’t breathe’’ and ‘‘ouch, you’re hurting me’’. Mr Power said the video did not lie. ‘‘It’s difficult to watch, it’s difficult to listen to. There’s no roleplay there.’’ He highlighted Scott was ‘‘a lot heavier, bigger and stronger than her’’. ‘‘What she describes, him on top of her and she couldn’t move, is absolutely plausible.’’ He argued there was no consent to the acts. ‘‘[The complainant] talks about being forced, she talks about being scared,’’ he said. He directed the jury to the documentary evidence which supported the complainant’s claims. ‘‘The videos don’t lie, the photos don’t lie, the texts don’t lie and they support what she says,’’ he said. ‘‘[The complainant] stuck with her story, she stuck to her guns, she was ultimately, we say, a compelling witness.’’ Counsel for the defendant Fiona Guy Kidd KC suggested to the jury the complainant was a liar and could not be believed. ‘‘The most important issue in this trial will be the complainant’s credibility,’’ she said. ‘‘Has she given honest evidence to you?’’ She stressed the defendant did not have to prove anything, but said the woman’s complaints were ‘‘motivated by anger’’. ‘‘There are indications of a long-term plan to extort this man, who you’ve heard is both wealthy and generous with money.’’ The complainant gave evidence she filmed the situation to prove to Scott that he was hurting her, but did not show him the footage until more than a year after she took it. ‘‘This doesn’t sit right, it doesn’t make sense and what it feels like is a setup,’’ Ms Guy Kidd said. ‘‘You cannot be satisfied that what you’re seeing in that video is genuine, as opposed to noises and things said for the camera.’’ Consent was also ‘‘a real issue’’ in relation to the sex charges, Ms Guy Kidd said. She said the complainant’s description of Scott as a ‘‘sex maniac’’ was ‘‘incredible’’ given a range of health conditions he suffered. Ms Guy Kidd submitted that after the jury had considered all the evidence they would not be sure Scott had committed the offences, and would find him not guilty. ‘‘These are serious charges and I ask you to exercise care in your deliberations,’’ she said. Judge Kate Davenport KC is expected to sum up the case tomorrow before the jury begins deliberating. felicity.dear@odt.co.nz
