9 Dec 2011

Trial of man accused of beating pregnant partner nears close

8:20 pm on 9 December 2011

The lawyer for a man accused of hitting his partner in the face with a hammer and beating her while she was pregnant says some events have been greatly exaggerated.

Haranui Harris faces 51 charges over an eight-year period ending in 2009, including a number of serious assaults.

During the two-week trial in the Auckland High Court, the jury has heard of a number of incidents of what the Crown describes as extreme violence.

Mr Harris is accused of hitting his partner in the face with a hammer and beating her while she was pregnant.

The Crown also alleges that he tied her hair to a towbar, and drove about 20 metres with her dragged behind.

In closing submissions on Friday, Mr Harris's lawyer Quentin Duffy says although the couple had a volatile and dysfunctional relationship, the woman has greatly exaggerated some events.

Mr Duffy says she was also a woman scorned at the time of making her statements to police and jealous of other women in Mr Harris' life.

He says the Crown's painting of his client as a character from the movie Once Were Warriors is not accurate.

The judge will make closing remarks on Monday, before the jury retires to deliberate.