'Tindallgate' bouncer vows to appeal conviction

Queenstown bouncer Jonathan Dixon. Photo / APNZ

Former Queenstown bouncer Jonathan Dixon says he will appeal his conviction and sentence over the "Tindallgate" CCTV incident in Queenstown during the Rugby World Cup.

In April, Dixon was found guilty by an Invercargill District Court jury of dishonestly accessing a computer at the Base/Altitude Bar where he worked as contracted security, and obtaining CCTV footage of English rugby captain Mike Tindall - husband of the Queen's granddaughter Zara Phillips - cavorting with a former girlfriend.

The 42-year-old was sentenced this morning to four months' community detention, to be served at a Dunedin address with a night-time curfew, and 300 hours' community service.

Dixon told the jury he believed he had the right to take the footage and do what he liked with it, and had posted the footage on social media to "save the princess from being tortured".

But Judge Kevin Phillips said today both he and the jury rejected that.

Dixon's offending had been deliberate, premeditated and motivated by greed and spite, Judge Phillips said.

Dixon had taken the footage intending to sell it to a British newspaper, and when no-one would pay him or co-operate with him, he posted it on YouTube, displaying a "holier than thou" attitude.

The only thing which saved Dixon from a prison term was that he had no prior offending of a similar nature, Judge Phillips said.

Speaking to media outside the courthouse, Dixon said the case was "not over yet".

"Do you hear the fat lady singing?"

When asked if that meant he was appealing, he replied: "Hell yeah."

He said he had an appeal against his conviction and sentence drawn up but needed to talk to his solicitor, John Westgate, of Dunedin, before he lodged it.

Dixon claimed there had been a miscarriage of justice, although when asked what the miscarriage was, he said he could not say.

He said it would come out that he had not dishonestly accessed the CCTV footage, and repeated his contention he put the footage online to "tell Mr Tindall off" and call him on his ungentlemanly behaviour.