A public-facing Dunedin professional violently quashed rumours of an affair, attacking a woman in front of her child, a court has heard. The defendant, aged in her 40s, was discharged without conviction when she appeared in the Dunedin District Court on Friday after pleading guilty to assault with a weapon. Judge Hermann Retzlaff also imposed sweeping suppression orders covering the woman’s identity, her occupation, her lengthy list of community involvements and the name of the victim. He said the woman’s “inherently public facing and relationship-based” job was at stake if she was convicted and a similar risk existed if her identity was revealed. In an affidavit, the defendant explained rumours had swirled about a supposed extramarital affair she was conducting. It resulted in her and her rumoured lover’s partner messaging each other on April 29 last year. That evening, the pair agreed to meet and discuss the matter at a park across the road from the victim’s Dunedin home. But the victim later decided it was too late to leave her young child. Undeterred, the defendant armed herself with a padded training rākau (a fighting staff used in Māori martial arts) and “banged on the front door”. She struck the woman at least once to the head and body until the victim’s partner got between them. The defendant left the scene when a neighbour emerged and yelled at her. Court documents noted the victim suffered concussion from the beating and felt the effects for several months afterwards. She wrote that she had taken time off work which had affected her income, as had trips to medical appointments in the aftermath. In her statement, she said she was particularly aggrieved by the fact her child was home when the attack took place. “Overall, it’s affected her confidence, her peace and her sense of safety,” Judge Retzlaff said. Counsel Meg Scally said her client had since undertaken counselling and attended stopping violence therapy. She had no previous convictions but her employer was now awaiting the decision of the court before finalising its internal process. Ms Scally called the defendant “a very community-minded person” and the judge accepted much of that work was in jeopardy if a conviction was entered. While police argued the potential consequences of a conviction did not outweigh the gravity of the crime, Judge Retzlaff disagreed. He ruled the level of the offending was “moderately low” and said should the woman be outed, there was the real possibility people would shun her in the industry. The defendant was ordered to pay the victim $4000 to address the emotional harm she caused. rob.kidd@odt.co.nz
