Acts of flogging and scarring of teenage girls have been described at a Christchurch District Court trial where a man faces indecency charges.
The acts took place in a house that had been modified to contain a dungeon and a "medical room".
The man, in his 50s, was granted interim name suppression by Judge Kevin Phillips after the defence case began today.
The defence will call evidence from about 12 witnesses.
The crown case was finished several weeks ago at a hearing before a judge alone, and Judge Phillips returned to Christchurch to spend three days hearing the defence evidence, and then legal argument and closing addresses.
He said he would reserve his decision at the end of the hearing and give it within two or three weeks.
The man, an importer of engineering goods, lingerie, decorative items and some medical items, told of buying the house and modifying it "for relaxation".
He said he had performed hundreds of scarifications - cutting marks or patterns into the skin - over 15 to 20 years. He charged no fees. For scarification he used scalpels, disposable blades, sanitation wipes, and paper towels to stop the bleeding.
He wanted the house to relax in, take photographs, perform scarifications, and practise bondage and discipline sessions.
He denied sexual activity with girls who went to the house, and who had given evidence during the crown case.
His evidence was that there could have been no such activity at the house, and he said that the records of the house's alarm system being set and deactivated supported his evidence.
He denies charges of indecent assaults or inducing indecent acts, and a charge of intentionally injuring a girl.
Defence counsel Tim Fournier said in some cases the defence said there had been no indecent assaults - they simply had not happened - and in the case of the cutting, that the girl had given "fully informed consent".
The accused had a reasonable belief that the consent had been given, he said.
Mr Fournier said the girl had walked herself through from the lounge into the suspension room, and consented to being chained up.
"She agreed with and consented to being cut on the breast area - as she was."
After she was unchained, more cuts were performed at her request because she wanted to see more blood.
"He will say it was consensual and at her request," said Mr Fournier.
A second girl then requested scarification but the man declined. However, he did insert some needles but stopped when she felt unwell.
The man described a session at the house on December 20, 2006, when he chained and flogged one of the girls for about 20 minutes using what he called "a soft cat of many tails".
The girl was wearing a leatherette corset. Another girl came in and interfered and he put an arm-lock on her and forced her to the floor. She ended up kissing the other girl's foot, and kissing her.
Beforehand, he had run through some options with the girl. She was not interested in "wax play or electricity play" but had been interested in flogging and scarification.
He later scarified the girl he had flogged. She asked him to do it on her right shoulder and they agreed on a dragon design, he said.
