Hung jury in Kuggeleijn trial

Scott Kuggeleijn playing cricket for New Zealand A. Photo: Getty Images
Scott Kuggeleijn playing cricket for New Zealand A. Photo: Getty Images
A jury deliberating the fate of Northern Districts cricketer Scott Kuggeleijn has been unable to reach a verdict.

Kuggeleijn has been fighting a charge of rape after an alleged rape of the complainant in her Hamilton flat in May last year.

Judge Philip Connell dismissed the jury about 2:15pm.

Kuggeleijn was remanded by the judge to reappear for a new trial call over next month. He appeared shocked by the news and held his head in his hands and slightly shook his head.

His family and supporters were not in the public gallery at the time the announcement was made by the judge. The judge thanked the jury for their efforts but apologised to Kuggeleijn as it means another trial will take place.

The jury began deliberating after Judge Philip Connell sent the jury out just before 11.30am. Kuggeleijn's lawyer Philip Morgan QC had told the jury in the Hamilton District Court to dismiss the charge and says there was no protestation by the alleged victim and that she did consent, albeit reluctantly or regretfully.

However, Crown prosecutor Jacinda Foster said the complainant did say no and even tried to wriggle out from underneath Kuggeleijn, who had her pinned down by her arms. The judge gave the jury four questions to consider. The first revolved around whether sex actually took place, followed by whether the complainant consented to it.

If they believed she wasn't consenting, the jury had to consider whether the Crown has proven that Kuggeleijn didn't believe she was consenting. If they agreed with that, they had to decide if Kuggeleijn had reasonable grounds to believe that she was consenting.

Connell suggested the jury considered Kuggeleijn's evidence first. If they accept what he says, they should find him not guilty. Or, if they were unsure, then they must also find him not guilty. But even if they disbelieved Kuggeleijn's evidence they would then need to assess the Crown's submissions in regards to the complainant saying "no".

Morgan accepted the consent wasn't a "lustful" consent in that she passionately wanted to have sex with Kuggeleijn, it was rather she may not have wanted to but she relented and gave in to it happening.