A man who claims he was assaulted by a high-profile Wakatipu developer alleges it was a punch from out of the blue.
Arrowtown-based travel agency boss Andrew Carmody alleges he copped “a fair crack” on his head from the well-known developer.
Carmody, 52, says they’d been discussing an employment matter involving someone he knew.
“The conversation had been forthright but it certainly hadn’t been heated.”
Mountain Scene is unable to name the developer, who was arrested and charged with assault following the August 29 incident in Arrowtown.
A Queenstown District Court spokesperson yesterday confirmed interim name suppression had been granted until the man’s next scheduled court appearance on September 24.
Carmody, the long-time managing director of Dunedin-based Brooker Travel, says he was approached by the developer on Arrow Lane after stepping outside his office for a smoke.
“I got approached to try and resolve the [employment] matter, and after about a 10 to 15-minute conversation, obviously he wasn’t hearing what he liked.”
Of the alleged punch, Carmody claims: “Half the problem is it came so far out of the blue.
“I just grabbed him and held him off at arm’s length and marched him back a couple of feet and called out to builders on the working site next door, ‘Did anyone see that punch?’
“One of them said, ‘Yeah, I did.’
“I said, ‘Great, I’ll ring the police’,” Carmody recalls.
“The decision was made on the spot to arrest him and press charges.”
Carmody, who admits he swore at the developer after the incident, says he suffered a sore jaw for about three days.
Although he didn’t seek medical attention, he provided police with a victim impact statement.
“I’m not into being hit at 11 o’clock on a Wednesday morning when I’m at work. I’m used to being hit when it’s 11.30 and at night and I’m at a pub.”
Carmody says he understands the developer has denied hitting him.
“My jaw says otherwise. He’s telling the police officer that I got too close and he felt intimidated and he raised his elbow to get me to step back.”
Carmody understands his alleged assailant may well get diversion and escape conviction if he admits he was in the wrong and apologises.
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