A Gisborne man accused of punching an older woman in the head during the heated Posie Parker protest in Auckland late last month appeared in court for the first time on Thursday, waving briefly to the magistrate before nervously folding his hands in front of him.
He was granted interim name suppression and told to return to court in two weeks to enter a plea.
He appeared to be accompanied in court by an older relative, while controversial Auckland restaurateur and former Auckland mayor candidate Leo Molloy sat behind him in the Auckland District Court gallery wearing a fluorescent orange jacket and sunglasses.
The charge comes nearly a month after British activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, self-described as a women’s rights activist and also known as Posie Parker, had to abort her two-event New Zealand speaking tour when her planned speech in Albert Park was drowned out by protesters.
Footage circulating on social media from the event showed a heated meeting of the two groups in Albert Park in central Auckland. A man can be seen striking a woman at least twice in the face.
Police confirmed earlier this week that an arrest for common assault had been made but said they could not provide any more information while the matter was before the court.
If convicted of the offence, the man could face imprisonment of up to one year.
After Thursday’s brief hearing, the defendant declined to comment to The New Zealand Herald as he left the courtroom with his lone supporter.
As the two stepped outside the courthouse, Molloy and two other men — one filming with his phone and another with a small camera attached to a long selfie-stick — followed the man for several minutes as he walked down the block.
“You better get used to this. It’s the rest of your life,” Molloy taunted as he followed the pair.
The businessman stopped after the pair passed a police officer.
“You have no right to stop us,” Molloy told the officer.”
“I’m just asking,” the officer responded as the two men with the cameras continued to follow.
Molloy later told The New Zealand Herald that he had done his best to out the man prior to his arrest and he intended to continue attending his court hearings. Mob violence was reprehensible, he said.
Conditions of the 20-year-old’s bail are that he have no contact with the complainant and not engage in any violence with people or objects.
— NZ Herald