John Hope Muchirahondo. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Warning: This story contains content some may find disturbing.
A witness says she remembers a man accused of multiple rapes telling her to stop crying after she woke to find him on top of her.
John Hope Muchirahondo is facing 22 charges of sexual violation by rape, and nine of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection and one of not providing access to a cell phone.
The High Court at Christchurch today heard from the first witness.
She described a night out she had in late February 2021 with a friend.
They went to two bars in central Christchurch at about 1am, after drinking at her sister's flat.
At the first bar, they went to get a drink, and Muchirahondo offered to get them one.
They moved onto a second bar and when the witness went to leave with her friend, Muchirahondo said they lived close together and should share a ride back to save money.
On the way, the witness is said to have begun losing consciousness and vomited when the car stopped.
She told the court her next memory was waking to find Muchirahondo on top of her on a couch.
She said she was confused and disorientated, told him to get off her and that she wanted to leave.
She began crying while he walked her home and said Muchirahondo asked why she was crying and told her to stop, the witness said.
She was defiant in the dock when questioned by Defence Counsel, Anselm Williams.
She said while her memory was not complete because the experience happened three years ago when she was a teenager, and she had been very drunk, she remembered that she had been raped.
She became tearful at several points discussing the details of the night, but said she was sure Muchirahondo was responsible.
Yesterday the court heard a 111 phone call the witness made once she got home the next morning.
She was sobbing and in places struggled to speak to the operator.
Today the court watched CCTV footage of the night and heard from two other witnesses.
One was the friend the first witness was out with.
She told the court she had been checking on the first witness once they managed to carry her inside of Muchirahondo's house after getting out of the car.
She checked on her repeatedly until she herself passed out, the friend said.
Muchirahondo woke her the next morning asking her to leave immediately.
The first witness was gone, which the friend said she thought was odd.
She asked to be dropped back to her car at the first witness' house.
When Muchirahondo saw a police car parked outside, she said he became shaky and nervous, and said the police were trouble.
He then refused to drop her off, instead taking her back to his house and telling her to walk, the friend said.
The trial is set down for eight weeks before Justice Lisa Preston and a 12-person jury.
The Crown's witnesses were scheduled to continue giving evidence tomorrow.
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