Jordan Williams has won his defamation case against former Conservative Party leader Colin Craig.
The 11 jurors sitting in the High Court at Auckland ruled unanimously in favour of Williams on both counts of defamation. They delivered their verdict about 2.50pm after 10 hours of deliberations across two days.
The first count related to Craig's remarks during a press conference and the second to comments in a leaflet he sent to 1.6 million households.
Craig was ordered to pay almost $1.3 million in damages.
On count one, the jury ordered $400,000 be paid in compensation caused for the injury to Williams' reputation and feelings and $90,000 in punitive damages for Craig's "flagrant disregard" of Jordan's rights.
On count two, they ruled Craig pay $650,000 in compensation and $130,000 in punitive damages.
As the verdict was read, Craig and his wife Helen sat quietly while Williams, supported by his mother and other family members, looked shocked and pleased.
Outside court Williams thanked his family and supporters.
"Thank you to all of those - my friends, my family and my colleagues and the donors of the organisations I work for - for standing by me during these last 12 months.''
Williams' lawyer Peter McKnight called his client "a lovely guy'' with a bright future.
"He's a lovely guy. He came to see me about the situation - I totally believed him from the start. I totally believe him now, as did the jury. It's a great day.''
Lawyer Ali Romanos - also part of Williams' legal team - said the case was the highlight of his career.
"It's been a gruelling year up against a very high-profile law firm and a very high-profile defendant ... we'd like to think justice was served today.''
Asked for his reaction when the verdict was read out, Romanos replied: "Relief. Relief for Jordan. He's had a lot of criticism through the media as to how he treated Rachel.
"But I think, actually, he did what he thought was right at the time - and I think that the jury saw that.''
McKnight said the "best" reaction inside court was from Williams' mother.
"She was just so relieved, so delighted and to see his family, it's absolutely great.
Williams took exception to comments made by Craig at a press conference in 2015, and in a pamphlet he published called Dirty Politics and Hidden Agendas which was delivered to more than 1.6 million New Zealand households.
Craig claimed Williams had lied about him and was part of a smear campaign to push him out of the Conservative Party leadership.
The "false accusations" he alleged Williams spread were mainly around Craig's relationship with his former press secretary Rachel MacGregor, who quit suddenly two days before the 2014 general election.
A few weeks later MacGregor told Williams that she had made a complaint to the Human Rights Commission that Craig had sexually harassed her over a long period of her employment.
She shared letters and poems the politician sent her. Williams then revealed the details to other Conservative Party members.
Craig then named Williams in a group of "schemers" he said were responsible for a "plot" against him.
Williams then filed defamation proceedings in the High Court, saying he did not lie about Craig.
The booklet also contained allegations about Whale Oil blogger Cameron Slater.
Outside court Slater told media: "All Jordan did was speak the truth about [Craig's] ratbag behaviour. So we've had a just decision here.''
Slater said the decision had put an end to what he dubbed Craig's "bullying".
Speaking about the information about himself in the Dirty Politics booklet, Slater said: "Everything Colin Craig put in that booklet about me is false in every respect.''
- Anna Leask
