Lawyer and former police officer on child porn charges

A Huntly lawyer and former police officer is facing 31 charges relating to possession of internet pornography.

Michael Meyrick, 57, today had his name suppression lifted after a two-month battle by the Crown and submissions from the Waikato Times.

The former Huntly senior sergeant faces 31 charges of possession of an objectionable publication and one of attempting to defeat the course of justice.

The charges relate to a computer alleged to have belonged to Meyrick.

The material seized includes images of children and infants.

Meyrick's charges were first called in the Huntly District Court on February 2, while he was working as a duty solicitor.

Meyrick, who approached the Waikato Times to speak earlier this week, said the charges themselves didn't embarrass him and he had no intention of running away.

"I'm not going to crawl under a blanket. I've practised as a lawyer in this community. I'm not changing anything. I'm not going away."

But he urged people to wait until the facts were clear and said he would defend the charges.

"Don't judge me. Judge me when you've read it all.

"Whatever people might think of me I'm a very strong family man. I have deep love of my children and it upsets me at the pressure put on them by the police, when their objective is to criticise me."

Meyrick claims he has never seen the pornographic images police say he had on floppy discs.

When police seized the discs they retrieved previously deleted images, he said.

Meyrick said he did not have views on pornography, but had very strong views on violence.

Meyrick won an interim suppression order on February 5.

On March 18 and 19 there was a further hearing before Judge Cecilie Rushton to lift name suppression at which the Waikato Times made submissions.

In a decision released four days later Judge Rushton declined to continue the name suppression.

Last Thursday Meyrick's lawyer Alex Hope appealed that decision to the High Court at Auckland.

On Friday, Justice Venning declined that appeal, but said the matter was to lie in court until Tuesday to allow Mr Hope time to consider an appeal to the Court of Appeal.

Meyrick then sought an extension until this morning so he could tell his family.

In his decision, Justice Venning said the factors that weighed against lifting name suppression included the presumption of innocence, the effect on Meyrick personally and the potential effect on him financially and professionally if his name were published.

But weighed against that were the public interest in Meyrick's work as a barrister and solicitor, the effect rumours and suspicion were having on other lawyers in Huntly and the public's right to know they were dealing with someone facing such charges.

Justice Venning also ruled the effect on Meyrick's family would be limited, the prima facie case was strong and said the offending could not be considered trivial.

Dates for hearing the charges have yet to be set.

- NZPA