‘Bordering on harassment’

A CALIFORNIAN man involved in a head-on crash which resulted in a Queenstown woman sustaining a spinal fracture has been granted interim name suppression.


The 73-year-old faces one charge of dangerous driving causing injury to Sara Duan on
Frankton Road on January 27.

In Queenstown’s court on Monday, the defendant’s lawyer, Michael Walker, said reporting by two media organisations had caused hardship to the man and his family, who’d been subject to ‘‘abuse, bullying and racism’’ online.

Allied Press hasn’t reported on the case till now.


Walker said comments on online articles represented ‘‘one of the worst viral online attacks I’ve seen in my career’’.

‘‘The impact of this reporting is extending well beyond the defendant.

‘‘It’s bordering on harassment.’’

He said some of the reporting to date had been inaccurate and unbalanced — the incident had been painted as a ‘‘hit and run’’, but the defendant didn’t run.

‘‘He tried to offer assistance to the victim.’’

Duan, a chef, suffered a spinal fracture and her car was written off after the crash, which happened about 5am as she was driving to the hotel where she works.

The defendant — who wasn’t required to be in court on Monday — cooperated with cops at the scene, including undergoing a breath test, Walker says.

The man and his wife flew to Auckland later that day, and were stranded there for two days after flights were disrupted by Cyclone Gabrielle.

Cops didn’t attempt to stopthe couple leaving the country.

Judge Russell Walker’s initial reaction to the application for suppression was the ‘‘horse has bolted’’, because the defendant’s name and occupation had been widely reported, but his lawyer had argued the application was needed to protect his client’s right to a fair trail, and to stop the ongoing cyber-bullying.

Because Monday was the defendant’s first appearance, a relatively-low threshold had to be met to satisfy the court publishing his name would cause undue hardship, the judge said.

That threshold was met, so the man’s name and former occupation were suppressed till his next appearance, on April 24.

The judge also ordered photos of the man and immediate family members be removed from online articles.

Driving ban dodged

A Queenstowner’s managed to avoid a driving ban for refusing to provide a blood specimen after cops accepted he hadn’t been driving.


Jacob Johnathan Tame Griffiths, 35, was charged by police after an incident in the CBD about 9.30am on February 3 when two associates of the defendant were involved in a disorderly behaviour incident while driving in Beach St.


Griffiths, who appeared drunk when he got out of the car, refused to undergo a breath screening test at the time and again at the police station, then refused to provide a blood specimen at Lakes District Hospital.


Police claimed Griffiths was driving the vehicle, but in Queenstown’s court on Monday his lawyer, Ben Alexander, said that wasn’t the case.


Griffiths was a passenger, and at some point during the disorder incident the car’s gear stick was pulled from its socket, ending up on the road beside it.


The defendant leaned out to grab it and was trying to reattach it when he inadvertently put the car into reverse, causing it to travel about 30cm.


Griffiths admitted the charge on Monday, but applied under the Land Transport Act for a driving ban to be waived, which the judge agreed to.


He was, however, sentenced to nine months’ supervision.

Other sentences


● Trent Arthur Ralph Hooper, 25, apprentice builder, of Frankton, aggravated disqualified driving, Frankton Rd, December 15, 155 hours’ community work.


● Brook William Wilson, 27, builder, of Kingston, breaching alcohol interlock licence, October 13, Cromwell; breaching alcohol interlock licence, January 2, Queenstown, six weeks’ prison, disqualified six months.


● Yu Heng Henry Wan, 26, of Australia, assault with intent to injure, June 26, Queenstown, discharged without conviction, ordered to pay $1500 reparation.


● Keith Allan Harvey, 37, builder, of Wānaka, disqualified driving, Anderson Rd, March 3, fined $300.

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