Wayne Andrews says his "entire life was on the line" when he appeared for a jury trial in the Dunedin District Court earlier this month, facing extensive abuse charges after a woman detailed allegations of extreme violence in a police interview in June 2021.
Locked up for five months and then on restrictive bail until trial, he spent more than two years in limbo.
"I was going to be an old man by the time I got out.
"I tried to stay and fight ... but in the end I realised for my own mental health, it was no good."
Because of stress, Mr Andrews checked himself into Wakari Hospital on May 13, 2021.
A Wakari staff member helped him contact police as he sought help, but he felt police were not taking him seriously.
Anne Stevens KC told the jury the allegations had been made up "out of spite".
When the charges were laid, Mr Andrews was arrested, taken into custody on July 1, 2021, and separated from his son.
The woman alleged he was a jealous, delusional and violent man, claiming she was trapped in a vehicle and beaten for hours among other serious assaults.
"It’s been a very hard, trying time on me and my mental health ... being accused of things that you didn’t do."
Because of the serious nature of the allegations, he was consistently denied bail and spent five months in jail.
"Prison is not a safe place at all ... People just pack attack people. It’s a disgusting place."
He was finally granted electronically monitored bail on September 11, 2021 and was forced to move to the North Island where he remained on 24/7 lockdown.
While on remand, he was not allowed to work.
"I lost everything I ever worked for in my life.
"The only thing I walked away with were the clothes on my back.
"I have no photos of my son, no baby pictures, nothing."
Mr Andrews said he suffered from PTSD, "massive bouts of depression" and had not slept properly in years.
While on bail, life for his son was made difficult by the relocation and radical change in circumstances.
"Basically, I had my son as my cell-mate. He went through some very hard times in himself.
"It was very hard because I wasn’t able to be the father I used to be."
Evenings of beach missions, surfing and sports training were replaced by the monotony of 24-hour bail.
Mr Andrews said he focused on the small things, such as cooking meals for his son and making sure he had clean clothes.
"He was the reason I lived at some points in time.
"It nearly killed me — the fear ... the mental anguish, the biggest, worst state of fear I’ve ever been in in my life.
"If I didn’t have my son, I probably wouldn’t be here."
The stress of potential imprisonment and the leadup to trial caused him major health problems, he said.
"It was eating me alive inside ... You are treated as a guilty person until you can prove yourself innocent."
He did not trust the legal system, but with support from his family and friends he believed the truth would eventually prevail.
He turned down repeated plea deals, refusing to accept any of the charges, steadfast in his innocence.
"They kept telling me they were good deals.
"I said ‘none of these are good deals because I’m not guilty’."
Sitting through the trial was difficult for Mr Andrews and he did his best to remain calm, despite feeling like the complainant was "hell bent on vengeance".
Waiting for the verdict was "extremely stressful".
"That was the most nerve-racking experience because my fate was in 12 other people’s hands ... I knew I was innocent."
As he waited in the cells below the courtroom, the guards were candid with him about what his life would look like if he was found guilty on just one of the 11 charges.
"I said a few prayers in my cell."
In front of his family and friends, he was acquitted on all charges.
The future now looks a little brighter, despite losing everything he strived so hard for since he entered the workforce at 15.
"It was a very emotional time.
"There was a whole lot of relief. I was finally free. I can start to rebuild a life again.
"The biggest fear is having your freedom taken away from you ... Every little thing could be gone."
