Youth leader facing sex charges claims teen was 'keen as a jellybean'

A jury has begun its deliberations over a former Auckland youth group leader facing sex charges against two underage females.

Samuel Patrick Dockary, 23, claimed one of the complainants was "keen as a jellybean" and also instigated some of the sexual activity the pair took part in.

However, despite admitting kissing and taking part in oral sex, he denied having sex with either complainant.

The evidence in the trial was wrapped up in the Hamilton District Court this morning after seven days, with Judge Kim Saunders delivering her summing up for the jury.

The jury retired just after midday.

Dockary is defending 26 sexual assault charges including rape, sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection and doing an indecent act at various and repeated times on two different 14-year-old victims between August 1, 2011 and March 1, 2013.

Dockary, who now lives in Tauranga, was a youth group leader at a bible college in Auckland when he is alleged to have indecently assaulted and then later raped a 14-year-old girl.

He then left the church and moved to a small Waikato town to live with family. It's there that a second set of similar offending is alleged to have occurred.

Dockary was aged 17, 18 and 19 throughout the alleged offending period.

His lawyer, Sheila Cameron, said her client confirmed all of the sexual-related activity took part with the young women, apart from sexual intercourse.

She argued that the girls consented to the sexual activity, which varied from kissing, to oral sex, either at a church or in the second complainant's case - at a Waikato sporting event.

Her client said he ended the relationship with one of the young women because he realised it wouldn't work due to their age.

Rather than having sex, he admitted "grinding" with the girl - simulating sex.

He didn't realise the sexual activity was illegal, the judge said.

Judge Saunders reminded the jury they didn't have to accept everything a witness told them, and they had to work out if the witness was credible or not.

"They may be honest but they might be mistaken."

She urged them to be careful about assessing them in the dock as it was a foreign environment for people.

"Some times the devil is in the detail. The small things can assist you."

One of the complainants accepted her behaviour changed after the incidents and she put that down to the sexual activity with Dockary.

Crown prosecutor Rebecca Guthrie said there were several similarities with each woman - church, the type of sexual activity, the way Dockary behaved and their age and similarities.

One of the complainants gave evidence that she was simply worn down by Dockary's repeated demands for sexual contact.

In his interview with police, Dockary accepted the contact did hurt the complainant but the pair were in love and he immediately stopped what he was doing.

However, he denied a claim by one of the women that he said he was "breaking her in".