A jury has cleared a Dunedin man of six sexual assault charges after he insisted the allegations were made up.
Daniel Erin Smith, 38, defended five charges of sexual conduct with a young person under 16 and sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection at the Dunedin District Court this week.
Yesterday, after about five hours of deliberating, the jury returned their majority verdicts of not guilty on all charges.
Crown prosecutor Craig Power had alleged Smith had indecently touched the girl multiple times on April 21 and 22, 2023, and on one occasion gave her a "creepy massage".
But the jury rejected the complainant’s version of events and instead believed Smith.
He had remained adamant the touching never happened and the girl was lying about the allegations.
The night was "a pretty uneventful Friday evening" for him, he recalled.
Under cross-examination from Mr Power, Smith’s position remained clear.
"Are you saying she’s made all this up?" Mr Power asked.
"Yes," Smith replied.
Counsel Meg Scally highlighted to the jury that the complainant had lied in her evidential interview.
The girl admitted she was not honest about the extent of the alleged violation.
"It’s important to consider that the complainant acknowledged that she broke the promise to tell the truth," Ms Scally said.
In her closing argument, she reminded the jury that her client had always denied the allegations and his story remained consistent.
The evidence Smith gave was plausible and reliable, she said.
After the verdicts were delivered, Judge David Robinson thanked the jury for their close attention throughout the trial.
