The identity of the winner of the prestigious accolade can now never be revealed after Judge Russell Walker permanently suppressed his name in the Invercargill District Court yesterday.
The victim said her attacker brought ‘‘utter disgrace’’ to the medical profession.
Following a judge-alone trial in November, the man was found guilty of indecently assaulting an emergency medical technician (EMT) during a patient transfer in October 2023.
The court heard that while handing over a person in his care, in the close confines of an emergency vehicle, he grabbed her backside with both hands. Judge Walker said he had found the complainant’s evidence ‘‘credible and compelling’’.
Defence counsel Jono Ross explained a conviction would mean his client would ‘‘concretely’’ lose his job, whereas a discharge without conviction would mean his job status would ‘‘remain a choice’’ for the man’s employers.
‘‘A conviction in and of itself means no job; without a conviction: still in jeopardy,’’ he said.
Also on the line, Mr Ross said, was his client’s award and a firearms licence he had held for 30 years.
The victim told the court the stress of the assault and toll of the investigation meant she was unable to ‘‘mentally prepare’’ for her final paramedic exams — which she was yet to complete.
‘‘My choice to pursue justice for myself . . . meant that my career took an unexpected sideline,’’ she said.
The woman also condemned the man’s behaviour while working in the medical field.
‘‘You bring utter disgrace to our profession . . . as medical professionals we have a responsibility to do no harm [and] care for vulnerable people,’’ she said.
By choosing to speak up, the EMT said she wanted to ‘‘bring courage and strength’’ to other victims of sexual assault.
‘‘And in doing so, I will move forward from being a victim of your vile behaviour,’’ she said.
Mr Ross argued that naming the man would have an impact on his client’s health and echoing ramifications on his family members in their small community.
The defendant apologised to the victim for what occurred and said it had a severe effect on him, too.
He also said the 10-day shifts he was working at the time were ‘‘unsafe’’ and may have caused his behaviour.
The man was willing to pay $2000 for emotional harm to the woman and sought ‘‘the wisdom of the court’’ on how to assist her in furthering her training.
‘‘It is my intention, if able, to serve my community to the best of my ability,’’ he told the judge.
Judge Walker acknowledged the man’s apology, but said it was ‘‘tempered’’ by the fact he had pleaded not guilty.
‘‘[It was] the first time, this morning, that there has been any real apology or recognising of harm,’’ the judge said. ‘‘The impact on [the victim] has been profound.’’
The charge of indecent assault can cover a very broad range of offending, the judge said, and this instance, he believed, was at the lower end of the scale.
He spoke of the man’s many years of valuable work in his community and that he had ‘‘devoted his life’’ to healthcare.
Because a conviction had the ‘‘real and appreciable risk’’ of the man losing his job, Judge Walker chose to discharge him without conviction.
