The Hawkes Bay rugby coach, former All Black Mark Shaw, was yesterday fined $800 for punching two off-duty policemen.
Appearing in Napier District Court, Shaw, aged 44, admitted assaulting Dean Young and Chris Cahill in a Napier bar on October 14.
He was fined $400 on each charge.
The assaults occurred when Shaw, players and officials were winding down after their loss to Nelson Bays in an NPC semifinal.
Defence lawyer Steve Manning said Shaw had drunk low-alcohol beer and a small quantity of red wine, while Mr Young and Mr Cahill had been on a pub crawl.
Mr Young made abusive comments about the team's performance to Shaw while the pair were in the toilet. Mr Manning said Shaw let the matter lie until back in the bar when he was struck lightly on the side of the head.
Believing, possibly incorrectly, that the perpetrator had been Mr Young, Shaw threw a punch that cut Mr Young's lip, and another that struck Mr Cahill in the eye as he intervened.
Mr Manning unsuccessfully sought a discharge without conviction.
He said Shaw was being prosecuted because he was more readily identifiable than others involved, some of whom had been offered diversion.
Judge Tony Christiansen said he had to convict Shaw, who he said was a first offender.
- NZPA
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