Judge yet to sum up case of pastor of a NZ Fijian fellowship church

The judge is yet to sum up the case in relation to the trial of a pastor of a Fijian fellowship church in Hutt Valley.

The Crown earlier told the jury that the two girls did not plan an elaborate set of allegations of sexual abuse about the pastor they knew.

Prosecutor Ian Murray closed the Crown’s case of 42-year-old pastor of the Kingdom Ambassador International Fellowship Church Jone Conikeli saying it defied belief that an 11-year-old had hatched a plan for revenge on Conikeli for introducing her recently bereaved father to another woman.

Murray told the court that Conikeli took opportunities to touch the two complainants in inappropriate ways while one was sleeping and when visiting the other’s home.

Defence lawyer Chris Nicholls said Conikeli was a man of God, a married family man with no convictions, who had earned the right to be taken at his word.

Nicholls alleged the girls had worked together after the younger one became upset with Conikeli.

Source: stuff.co.nz