'Innocence crystallised as absolute' for media personality accused of assaulting woman, says judge

The court file for the media personality will remained sealed. Photo / File

A judge has described a media personality accused of assaulting two people as being absolutely innocent after the charges were dropped.

The serious assault charges against the man were earlier dismissed, the Herald revealed in January.

The Herald then sought access to the court file but today Judge Russell Collins released his decision denying access to the documents.

However, he also offered some remarks about the case.

The man, who has permanent name suppression, was accused of assaulting a woman with intent to injure. He was also charged with assaulting a second person on two separate occasions.

The allegations, however, were dismissed after no evidence was offered by the Auckland Crown prosecutor's office against the man before Christmas.

"Such a decision was in the circumstances unremarkable and inevitable," Judge Collins said in his written ruling.

"At that point the presumption of an innocence was crystallised as absolute."

The man's lawyer, Marie Dyhrberg QC, argued against the Herald having access to the court file and said there was no legitimate public interest nor media freedom interest to allow it.

"She submits in the absence of a legitimate interest being served the granting of access only risks harm to innocent persons. I agree," Judge Collins said.

"Charges dismissed at an early stage where the prosecution offers no evidence are materially no different from a public interest point of view to allegations which are never in fact made."

Dyhrberg has said no comment would be made on behalf of her client.

Further suppression orders on what was an already publicly concealed case also prevent the Herald from publishing more details about the charges and allegations.

The man first appeared in the North Shore District Court last year to face the charges, which stemmed from alleged historical offending.

He pleaded not guilty to both charges and elected trial by jury, which was scheduled to be held later this year.

The media personality's name and occupation were initially suppressed until determination of the case but a judge earlier allowed reporters to refer to him as a "media personality".

The woman the media personality was accused of assaulting has said she couldn't talk about the case.

Police have also declined to comment on the outcome.