Discharge over liquor sales to duo

A minor managed to buy four Tui Lager beers during a Cricket World Cup match at McLean Park. Photo / Duncan Brown

The Central District Cricket Association has been discharged without conviction after it admitted supplying liquor to a minor during a Cricket World Cup match in Napier three months ago.

The application for discharge, made by association counsel Matthew Lawson but opposed by police through prosecutor Sergeant Chris Flood, was granted in Napier District Court yesterday.

It followed a combined district licensing agency, district health board and police controlled purchase operation in which two 16-year-olds were used to test liquor control under a licence held by the association at the New Zealand Black Caps' match against Afghanistan at McLean Park on March 8.

Sergeant Flood said the pair were asked their ages at three booths and turned away after showing ID which confirmed they were under 18, but at a fourth booth there was no challenge and four Tui Lager beers were bought for $30.

Mr Lawson, who acknowledged his law-firm partner is Central Districts chairman Blair Robinson, said stringent procedures had been in place where security staff employed by Red Badge challenged people about their ages before they could enter the queues at the booths.

The fourth purchase attempt took place about 12.30pm, about the time of a security-staff changeover and the booth staff were unaware the new staff had not checked the ages as had been happening Mr Lawson said.

Citing legislation allowing a discharge if the impact could unduly outweigh the significance of the offending, Mr Lawson said that as a not-for-profit organisation, relying on sponsorship, charitable trust grants and proceeds from such big-match ventures as liquor sales, a conviction could harm the associations prospects for future fundraising.

Sergeant Flood accepted the offence was at the lower-end of the range of offending of its type, and said the association had not produced any evidence from organisations whose future support might be affected by a conviction against the association.

JPs Sandra McNeil and David Compton agreed a conviction had potential to adversely affect cricket association funding, the offending was at the lower end, and that "knowing" some of the people concerned they were sure the association had "learnt from this".

Police are expected to review the case before deciding whether to appeal the JPs' decision.