Northland leader charged with assault, name kept secret

The Northland leader appeared in the Whangārei District Court on Wednesday. Photo / NZME

A prominent Northland leader has been charged with assault.

The person appeared in the Whangārei District Court today charged with common assault, which allegedly took place in Whangārei on Monday.

The person was granted interim name suppression, duty lawyer Sam McDonald arguing their fair trial rights could be compromised, given their prominent standing in the community.

McDonald also put forward the case that publication could cause extreme hardship to the person or their family.

Judge Taryn Bayley said there was legitimate public interest in the case and she did not agree the person’s standing in the community would impact their fair trial rights if their name was published.

But she accepted there was a wider case to be argued over name suppression, and that would be considered in the Whangārei District Court on October 1.

In the meantime, the person’s name, job and other identifying features must not be published.

The person was granted bail, with a directive to not be violent or threaten violence as one of the conditions.

The assault charge will be considered again in the court on October 17.

• An earlier version of this article incorrectly said the person had been charged with assaulting a person with whom they have a family relationship. While the victim is a distant relative, the charge is one of assault.

Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.