Jacob Mitchell Cummings (24) was found guilty of assaulting the woman following a judge-alone trial before Chief Judge Jan-Marie Doogue at the Queenstown District Court last year. However, he appealed the ruling and the case was heard by the High Court at Invercargill last month. The victim had got up early to make breakfast, the court heard heard at trial. Chief Judge Doogue said the woman's account was ``consistent and coherent'', with a level of detail not found in the defendant's version of events. "I am satisfied in all the circumstances of this case that a miscarriage of justice did not arise from the Chief Judge accepting one version of events over another.''

Source: Otago Daily Times April 23, 2018 17:15 UTC