The man accused of indecently assaulting teenagers at a Young Labour summer camp last year has pleaded guilty to two amended charges of assault, on the third day of his trial.
The 21-year-old, who has name suppression, was facing five charges of indecent assault, alleged to have taken place on February 11, 2018 at Waihi in the Coromandel.
He was accused of putting his hand down the pants of two young men.
Another woman alleges he kissed and licked her neck up to her face, while the second woman was allegedly groped.
On Monday, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges at the Auckland District Court in front of Judge Russell Collins and a jury.
But this morning, he's reached a plea deal with the case prosecutors, and has pleaded guilty to two amended charges of assault under the Summary Offences Act 1981.
The defendant was “caught up in a political storm”, his lawyer said.
The two amended charges are in relation to the two male complainants.
The Crown has withdrawn a second charge relating to one of the male complainants, and has offered no further evidence for the remaining two charges, relating to the female complainants.
The trial has therefore come to an abrupt end.
The accused's lawyer Emma Priest is seeking a discharge without conviction for her client.
The man will be sentenced in November.
The allegations sparked a huge political storm, including a review of the Labour party’s internal processes and policies.
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