Name Suppression

Honestly where do we get these Judges from? …this one has given a veteran sholifter with a previous record name suppression because it might hurt her career. Well boo hoo.

A Hawke’s Bay early childhood teacher has won her bid for name suppression after admitting two counts of shoplifting.

The woman appeared in Hastings District Court yesterday and successfully avoided both a conviction and the publication of her name.

Two charges of shoplifting arose from separate incidents where she stole clothing from the same Havelock North fashion store in October last year.

Defence lawyer Bill Calver said his client suffered from a mental illness at the time of the offending and argued the theft had “bizarre overtones” and was “unlike most shoplifting offending”.

On October 29 the woman walked back to the store in question to re-offend wearing the very clothing item she stole from the business on October 1, he said.

He pushed for a discharge without conviction and said the publication of her name would be “highly disadvantageous”.

“Her career would be over,” Mr Calver said.

Last year she was given police diversion for further shoplifting after stealing four handbags.

Police senior prosecutor Andy Horne opposed suppression and claimed retailers had the right to know her identity.

She has a temporary mental illness that conveniently only reoccurs when she is stealing stuff? …it’s called kleptomania.

Two men have been arrested and charged for the killing of Radio NZ  journalist Phillip Cottrell:

A 17-year-old youth had the support of his family who called out “mama loves you” and “take care boy” when he appeared in court today charged with the brutal murder of a Wellington journalist.

The teenager, who cannot be identified, appeared before Judge Carrie Wainwright in Wellington District Court this afternoon alongside his co-accused, Nicho Waipuka, 19.

The Lower Hutt teenagers are accused of murdering Radio New Zealand journalist Phillip Cottrell.

Cottrell, 43, died in hospital on Sunday after he was attacked in central Wellington early on Saturday on his way home from work as a bulletins editor at the state broadcaster.

Defence lawyer Mike Antunovich successfully argued for name and image suppression for the 17-year-old.

Mr Antunovich said many family members were yet to be told of the charge against the youth, who will reappear in court on Friday.

I find the weasel excuses of family members not being told about an arrest pathetic. Phillip Cottrell’s family have had to be told of his death and there was no hiding from that. Name Suppression shouldn’t be available for silly reasons like that. It is also clear his family were in the court calling out that his “mama” loved him.

The strangest decision though is this from the Judge:

Waipuka was remanded in custody without plea until December 21.

His lawyer, Rob Stevens, successfully argued that Waipuka’s image should be suppressed but said his name had already been widely published so there was little to be gained in seeking name suppression.

This is utterly ridiculous. The police issued a mug-shot to media the day before and his image was published in every daily paper, and on multiple websites. The judges suppression order now means the Police have broken the law. His image is on 3News several times, TVNZ, Voxy, GayNZ, Scoop, NewstalkZB, Otago Daily Times, not to mention the offenders own Facebook Page.

Judges wonder why people mock them, but when you see utterly ridiculous suppression orders like this one you really have to wonder if they are actually propoerly qualified to make these judgements.

On Saturday the NZ Herald ran an article about NZ’s most dangerous stalker. It named him and the details of his crimes.

If this man had name suppression then what has happened since could never have happened:

More women have come forward complaining of harassment by the man described as New Zealand’s “most dangerous stalker” since his release from prison last month.

In three weeks of freedom, Glenn Green is now a suspect in at least one new case – and possibly more – of alleged harassment, on top of the case involving a 19-year-old woman that put him back in custody last week.

Some of the new women are said by police to have a “public profile” – it is understood they have appeared on television.

Green, 41, appeared in North Shore District Court on Friday on a charge of harassment of a teenager and was remanded in custody until January 12.

Green denied the charge and his lawyer said that “as soon as he was told to desist, he did desist”.

Detective Sergeant James Watson, of North Shore, said a young Devonport woman had come forward with a further complaint against Green at the weekend after seeing his photo in the Weekend Herald. “Every person that comes and makes a complaint we can go and lay more charges,” Mr Watson said.

“He’s got 227 convictions.”

The woman had been “freaked out” by constant harassment similar to what was alleged for the 19-year-old, he said. The court heard that teen had left her family home and changed her phone number to avoid Green.

He had been out of prison for only a week when he started contacting her, said the police prosecutor in court.

The Maori party has called for parliament to act on name suppression:

The Maori Party is calling for name suppression laws to change as soon as possible, after a former All Black was granted name suppression after pleading guilty to assaulting a child.

He appeared in Auckland District Court yesterday charged with the September assault, the New Zealand Herald reports.

Another former All Black appeared in Wellington District Court two weeks ago, charged with assaulting his partner while celebrating the All Blacks’ World Cup final victory, resisting police and possessing cannabis. He was also given name suppression.

Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia has slammed the most recent name suppression.

“In this morning’s paper we have the ludicrous situation of two individuals involved in cases of child assault – one protected and the other exposed to public scrutiny,” Ms Turia said.

She was referring to the case of Auckland mother Mellissa Anderson, who was refused name suppression while facing charges for allegedly slapping a 14-year-old girl who attacked her daughter, Summer, outside school last week.

Ms Turia says it “makes a mockery of the justice system” that a 13-year-old girl’s identity was released into the public arena, while a former All Black can keep his name secret.

“For former All Black players, there appears to be another set of standards at play,” she said.

I said at the time that Simon Power’s law changes would be ignored by Judges. I know the law doesn’t come into effect for several more months but I rpredict that the status quo will continue to exist. The law changes didn’t go far enough in removing name suppression and protecting the innocent victims.

Now an ex-All Black is smearing the names of other former team mates through his cowardice.

Simon Power touted his name suppression changes as being able to stop people getting name suppression because they were famous:

A well-known former rugby player has pleaded guilty in the Auckland District Court to a charge of assaulting a child.

The sportsman, who was granted interim name suppression, admitted to an incident on September 27 in what police have called an act of excessive discipline.

He was granted name suppression because of his standing in sporting circles and in the community.

Well he should have thought about that when he bashed his kid shouldn’t he. Quite happy for the profile on the field but not happy for the profile for beating a child.

Some tough guy he is, afraid of his own name.

Simon Power won’t care he has retired and got his cushy job at Westpac.

When Simon Power put through his changes tot he name suppression law he told us all that celebrities would find it harder to get name suppression.

As is usual with politicians thee days he was speaking out of the side of his mouth with his fingers crossed behind his back:

A rising Hawke’s Bay professional sports star charged with a driving offence has been granted name suppression.

The 20-year-old man appeared in the Hastings District Court yesterday and entered no plea to a charge of driving while suspended. Police allege he was spotted driving along Karamu Rd on October 7.

His lawyer, Amit Malik, sought suppression due to his client’s “public profile”. Mr Malik said the man needed more time to tell his employer of the charge.

Name Suppression for a driving offence and name suppression because he is a “rising star”. What a load of bpllocks.

I said the law changes wouldn’t do a thing, looks like I was right.

Community Magistrate Lavinia Nathan needs to read up on the new law regarding name suppression:

A man has pleaded guilty to 22 separate charges of filming up women’s skirts at shopping malls.

He will be sentenced in the North Shore District Court in December on charges of making 22 intimate visual recordings.

The Herald on Sunday cannot name him or show his face because Community Magistrate Lavinia Nathan granted him interim name suppression – again.

Police said there were no “known” victims because he discreetly filmed strangers below their waists from front-on and behind. He was caught at Albany’s Westfield Centre after a security guard alerted police.

The 41-year-old West Auckland man was allowed to keep his identity a secret for two weeks after his guilty plea to inform his sick elderly mother about his offending, which took place over three months.

This week however, Public Defence Solicitor Liesje Garraway-Lina requested the interim name suppression be continued for another seven weeks because he had not informed his employer or other family members, including a young daughter.

Police prosecutor Mike Hayden said her argument held no weight because the offender had already had enough time to let people know about his charges.

Community Magistrate Nathan decided to protect the offender by hiding his identity until sentencing.

The law has changed now and there is no way that this man remotely qualifies under the new provisions for name suppression to enjoy continued name suppression.

The Comedian who got off without a conviction because “he makes people laugh” is having his sentence reviewed by the high court.

Christine Rankin sums it up nicely:

Christine Rankin, a family commissioner, but speaking as a child advocate separate from her official position said the comedian may have been given credit for making people laugh, but the court’s decision to allow him to walk free without even a conviction “made people cry”.

Meanwhile I remain convicted for publishing his name, and some say I make people laugh too.

The boy who made bomb threats has been named:

A south Auckland high school student who allegedly made bomb threats in retaliation to a new internet copyright law has lost his bid for continued name suppression.

Fijian-born Ifraaz Joseph appeared in the Manukau District Court today on charges relating to a video that was allegedly posted on YouTube and threatened the New Zealand Government.

The clip included threats about bombs hidden in Government buildings, as well as Government and media websites being hacked.

The 18-year-old pleaded not guilty.

His lawyer Giles Harvey argued for continued name suppression on the grounds that the teenager’s name was very similar to other male family members, including his brother.

He said the family also feared they could face a public “backlash” from any perceived affiliation with international terrorism.

So if you are a paedo comedian who “makes people laugh” you can have name suppression, but threaten to makes some bombs and you get named.

The inconsistency of name suppression continues.

You’ve gotta love this kid though, willing to make bomb threats against the government but still afraid of getting the whack from his mama !!!!

So tough he can issue threats but afraid of his own name.

A south Auckland secondary school student accused of making bomb threats against the Government is seeking name suppression so his Muslim family avoids the “extreme shame” the charges bring.

The 18-year-old Fijian-born student appeared in the Manukau District Court today after allegedly making threats in a YouTube video.

The threats, posted online earlier this month, included claims that explosives had been hidden in New Zealand Government buildings.

The video also said Government and media websites would be hacked.

The man has been charged with threats of harm to people and property.

Duty solicitor Nicole Smith sought interim name suppression for the student.

She said his extended family had not yet been notified and because the family was Muslim, the charges would “bring extreme shame to the family.”

Smith said the student’s mother and father were in court and were “very upset”.