The lawyer for an All Black whose identity was suppressed when he appeared in court for assaulting his wife said today that the rugby player's name would have to be removed from a New Zealand website.
In one of the "forum" pages on the site, a member of the public has identified the rugby player, who was discharged without conviction by a judge in west Auckland last week.
On the same webpage, other members of the public have speculated, wrongly, about who they thought the offender was.
Defence lawyer Richard Earwaker said naming the man was a breach of the court order for permanent name suppression and he would be taking instructions from the player's manager.
"My advice would be to do something immediately about it in terms of trying to get it removed," he said.
"We have to consider how it got there. We will then know what other action is appropriate, but certainly the first thing is to get it removed."
Mr Earwaker said he had been surprised at the controversy that arose over the player getting name suppression and believed the matter had been blown out of proportion.
During sentencing in the Waitakere Family Violence Court, Judge Philip Recordon described the offence as at the lower end of the scale.
He said the man, who had pleaded guilty to assault, was being granted permanent name suppression not because he was an All Black.
It was because revealing his identity would have such an effect on his career, his personal life and his family that on balance the presumption that there should be publication was overturned.
The court had been told that the man's wife, who was five months' pregnant at the time of the October incident, left their house after an argument.
He tried to bring her back as she kept walking and a struggle ensued.
- NZPA
Lawyer says All Black's name will have to go from website
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.