Veteran protestor and the permanently grumpy John Minto has lost his appeal against his conviction:
Veteran activist John Minto has lost his appeal against an obstruction conviction after confessing to intentionally blocking police during his High Court hearing.
Minto was found guilty of obstruction at the Auckland District Court in August for blocking a truck removing a state house in Glen Innes.
He appealed his conviction on February 5 on the basis his arrest was “gratuitous, arbitrary and unnecessary”.
However, in a High Court ruling released today, Justice Raynor Asher dismissed his appeal.
“Minto did not challenge the fact that he had been asked to leave the road. It was his intention to stay where he was.”
Minto admitted to blocking the truck in his evidence: “I was determined that the police would move me off rather than me moving voluntarily.”
He represented himself in court.
Ahh…the old saying still stands…A man who is his own lawyer has a fool for a client.
