A domestic abuse trial at the Wellington District Court was cut short today after the prime witness did a runner.
Karamea Dean Butler-August, 44, was on trial on two charges of assaulting his former partner Leeann Dorothy Keating after allegedly trying to strangle her and hitting her with a chair.
He admitted another charge of punching her.
However, the trial was stopped and the defended charges were dropped after Ms Keating stormed out of the courtroom while being cross-examined this morning.
She later returned to continue her evidence but then disappeared for good during a short adjournment, prompting Judge Mike Behrens to stop the trial.
He fined Butler-August $500 on the assault charge that he admitted.
Crown prosecutor Mark Anderson had told the court that on December 8 last year after a night out drinking and smoking marijuana at her local pub in suburban Kilbirnie, Ms Keating and a female prostitute she met at the bar went to the flat she shared with Butler-August.
The three shared two casks of wine, then the prostitute said she was tired so went to sleep in the couple's bed, and was later joined by Ms Keating.
Mr Anderson said Butler-August became agitated and angry when he found the two women in bed.
Ms Keating told the court how Butler-August accused her of molesting the prostitute, and in response she punched him which led to him attacking her.
