Like John Key, a Dunedin bouncer has avoided conviction for pulling a woman’s ponytail.
But unlike the former prime minister, Samulelu Daniel Amatuanai (40) was charged with assault over his hair-tugging and has served a punishment of sorts.
The case came before the Dunedin District Court yesterday after the defendant had originally taken the matter to a judge-alone trial.
That hearing in August did not go ahead.
Instead, Judge Kevin Phillips told Amatuanai if he paid the victim $750 and completed 50 hours of voluntary community work he would be discharged without conviction.
"You apologised to her in front of everyone in court and she accepted that," he said.
Amatuanai was working the door at one of the Octagon’s bars early on March 26.
While checking the queue waiting to enter, he saw the victim climbing over a partition.
"You grabbed her by the ponytail and pulled her to the ground," the judge said.
The doorman admitted he had done so but denied holding the woman down by the throat, hence the not guilty plea.
Judge Phillips noted Amatuanai had done his voluntary work at an op shop and said there was a letter before the court from that organisation.
"I consider that [work] to be done very well," he said.
The judge noted the defendant’s unblemished criminal history and said the consequences of a conviction would be out of all proportion to the gravity of his offending. Upon granting Amatuanai the discharge, he gave him a send-off as he left the dock.
"Keep your hands to yourself," Judge Phillips said.
• In 2015, Auckland cafe worker Amanda Bailey declined to press charges against then PM John Key after it was revealed he had repeatedly pulled her ponytail. He dismissed it as "a bit of banter".
The district court rejected a private prosecution lodged by serial litigant Graham McCready and the Human Rights Review Tribunal also dismissed his bid.