All Black discharged over assault on pregnant wife

An All Black rugby player who pleaded guilty to assault after trying to force his pregnant wife back into their house was today discharged without conviction.

He also had suppression of his name made permanent, when he appeared in the Waitakere Family Violence Court, a special pilot being trialed in west Auckland.

Judge Philip Recordon said the assault, which happened on October 23 when the victim was five months' pregnant, was at the lower end of the scale.

He said a conviction would be out of proportion with the offence.

Judge Recordon had indicated at the man's previous appearance in December that there would be a discharge if he and his wife completed a counselling course.

He said today that he had been told the couple had been to four sessions, with two to go.

"The attendance has been excellent," he said.

"You have genuinely worked at changing things."

On the issue of name suppression, Judge Recordon said well-known people had no automatic immunity to publication of their name if they came before the courts.

But in this case, revealing the man's identity would have such an impact on his career, his personal life, his wife and his family that the presumption there should be publication was overturned.

Judge Recordon said the summary of facts was that the man's wife left the house after an argument and he tried to bring her back as she kept walking. A struggle then ensued.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Pete Sydall repeated his objection to name suppression, saying he saw no reason for it.

"He has pleaded guilty, so the presumption of innocence does not apply," he said.

Mr Sydall did not object to a discharge without conviction but sought an assurance that the counselling course would be completed.

- NZPA