Former high profile journalist Peter Verschaffelt shook with emotion and struggled to stay on his feet in court today when a judge ordered a stay of proceedings on charges he was party to drug making and tried to pervert the course of justice.
In Auckland District Court Judge David Harvey granted an application from Verschaffelt to issue a stay of proceedings, stopping a trial due to start tomorrow.
Verschaffelt was due to go before a jury tomorrow on a charge of being a party to the manufacture of methamphetamine and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
However, after hearing submissions from his lawyer David Young, Judge Harvey adjourned for lunch and came back with a ruling Mr Verschaffelt said he had waited four years to hear.
The judge said he would give his reasons for his decisions later but as he spoke Mr Verschafffelt grasped the rail around the dock with both hands, put his head down and shook with emotion.
"I'm speechless. I am struggling to hold back tears," he said outside the court moments later.
The charges were laid in 2006 after he was arrested with Greg Wilesmith in October 2006 following a police search of a motel room in Orewa, north of Auckland.
Wilesmith was later convicted on drugs charges but Verschaffelt consistently denied he had done anything wrong, saying he was only helping Wilesmith out with accommodation.
