The Crown alleges that Campbell roped a 15-year-old woman into the ram-raid after which kidnapped, raped and sexually assaulted her within the following 48 hours in November 2020.
The interval beneath scrutiny started when a van was pushed by the locked door of the Pettigrew Inexperienced Area, a sports activities and occasions centre in Taradale, Napier, within the early hours of November 8, 2020.
The Crown alleges Campbell was driving it and the woman was within the passenger seat because the van was pushed down a hallway and greatly surprised an ATM.
It says that the ATM was later taken to the house of Campbell’s father, Ricky Campbell, 63, opened, and emptied of $19,800.
The Crown case alleges the woman was locked in a room at Ricky Campbell’s home, after which was taken to a motel by Earl Campbell the next day, the place she was raped and sexually violated.
Earl Campbell faces 11 expenses, together with rape, sexual violation, kidnapping, strangulation, aggravated housebreaking, illegal possession of a firearm, and conspiring to pervert the course of justice.
Ricky Campbell has been charged with kidnapping, by allegedly locking the woman within the room, and being an adjunct to the housebreaking after the actual fact by utilizing grinders to open the ATM.
Each males have pleaded not responsible to all expenses.
Crown says have a look at the ‘huge image’
The younger girl has statutory identify suppression. The courtroom has been advised she is a relative of a long-standing drug-dealing affiliate of Earl Campbell.
Crown prosecutor Clayton Walker advised the jury to take a look at the “huge image” of the case and ask if the woman’s account made sense inside itself and when put next with different proof.
“If she is telling the reality about what occurred to her, then she has had a very traumatic expertise,” Walker mentioned.
“In the event you imagine the essence of her allegations, then it follows that the costs are proved.”
Walker mentioned the woman gave a extremely private and intimately detailed account of what had occurred to her, which he described as “the worst time of her life”.
The jury had seen an evidential interview recorded along with her when she was 16.
“Did that account seem fabricated?,” he requested.
One other relative’s proof was that the woman went lacking for 3 days and got here again in a “utterly totally different emotional state” however wouldn’t discuss it.
She later contemplated taking her personal life, Walker mentioned.
Earl Campbell’s companion, Linda Kelly, had mentioned in a textual content he additionally “disappeared” for about three days on the identical time, Walker mentioned.
The woman disclosed the alleged sexual offending in a police interview concerning the ram-raid 18 months after it occurred.
Walker mentioned the trial had heard how intimidating Earl Campbell could possibly be.
“Does it make any sense that she ought to make up false allegations about him?
“That’s what all of it boils all the way down to – has she advised the reality concerning the important issues?”
Earl Campbell advised the jury he didn’t do any of the crimes the Crown had accused him of.
He had been at dwelling with Kelly when the sector was raided, and on the motel along with her on the next night time, when the woman and her relative had visited there to purchase hashish.
Companion an ‘trustworthy witness’
Kelly had given proof in help of this and she or he was an “trustworthy witness”, he mentioned.
Utilizing a profanity to explain them, Campbell mentioned he hated individuals who offended sexually towards under-age women.
He mentioned that the younger girl had given six interviews to police and the small print modified between the transcripts.
“Lies can change … the reality stays fixed,” he mentioned.
He mentioned the Crown had did not show past affordable doubt that he was responsible of any of the costs.
“The one protected verdicts are usually not responsible.”
Counsel Scott Jefferson, representing Ricky Campbell, mentioned the woman had been taken to the police station by the relative, who had an “axe to grind” with Earl Campbell.
He mentioned she had advised lies.
“It’s plain because the nostril in your face,” Jefferson mentioned.
“The issue with the Crown case is that she is neither a reputable or dependable witness.”
Justice Helen Cull will handle the jury of eight girls and 4 males on Monday earlier than they retire to think about the verdicts.
Ric Stevens spent a few years working for the previous New Zealand Press Affiliation information company, together with as a political reporter at Parliament, earlier than holding senior positions at numerous day by day newspapers. He joined NZME’s Open Justice workforce in 2022 and is predicated in Hawke’s Bay. His writing within the crime and justice sphere is knowledgeable by 4 years of front-line expertise as a probation officer.
