Assault complaint against Michael Laws

Michael Laws. Photo / Wanganui Chronicle

Two controversial Whanganui personalities have clashed again - this time literally - as both Mayor Michael Laws and 21-year-old mayoral candidate Jevan Goulter accuse each other of assault.

A scuffle broke out at Laws' Radio Live studio yesterday morning when Goulter entered and tried to hand over legal papers claiming defamation.

Both men agree the papers were thrown into a room where Laws waited, and the mayor then used force to get Goulter out of the studio.

But otherwise the accounts of the mayor-cum-radio host, a frequent target of complaints to the Broadcasting Standards Authority, and Goulter, a regular feature in recent Whanganui scandals as spokesman for the troubled Miss Wanganui beauty pageant, predictably diverge.

Goulter claims he was told "f*** off you f***ing homosexual" by Laws while waiting at the studio's reception, then threw papers into a door being slammed shut.

He says Laws rushed out and began aggressively pushing him while threatening, "I'll f***ing smash your head in", while a receptionist tried to block Laws, screaming: "stop it Michael!"

Laws admits to "manhandling" Goulter to get him away, but claims if was after being assaulted by Goulter throwing papers at him.

He says the major point of contention began last Friday, when Goulter arrived at Laws' 5-year-old daughter's school and caused a scene with his family.

Laws defended himself on Radio Live yesterday, where he called Goulter an anti-social, objectionable, discredited, unemployed and homosexual fantasist.

"I told him that he's to leave my 5-year-old child - God, my children - out of his sick, sick fantasies and his appalling political charades and stunts."

Laws said Goulter had obstructed his ex-partner, Leonie Brookhammer, as she entered their daughter's school, then tried to serve the defamation papers to the 5-year-old.

"If you attempt to use my children or family in a political stunt or campaign against me, and frighten them and attempt to humiliate them in front of others, then I will get very, very angry indeed. And justifiably so, in my book.

"Particularly after I then am assaulted by somebody who throws papers at me."

Goulter denied he ever brought Laws' children into the affair.

He had been at the school with another parent to pick up a child, and had served legal papers to Ms Brookhammer.

But he did not even know who Laws' children were and would not recognise them, Goulter said.

"I never approached a 5-year-old girl to try and serve legal papers, and would never contemplate doing this ever - and even so, how could I do this not knowing who she is?"

Goulter said he had laid a complaint with police about the altercation.

"He calls it 'manhandling', I call it assault."