Police were called and a person was hospitalised in the incident. Photo / File
Police were called and a person was hospitalised in the incident. Photo / File
A fundraiser for a wealthy suburban Auckland primary school featuring top Kiwi comedians descended into a violent scrap involving several people.
The boozy brawl left one person hospitalised and sparked a police complaint, the Herald can reveal.
The drama unfolded at the annual comedy evening run by the Balmoral PrimarySchool parent–teacher association, held at the Mt Eden War Memorial hall on August 27.
Billed by the PTA as "our most fun adult event on the calendar," tickets for the R18 show went for $55 per person or $440 for a table of eight, with bar service throughout the night.
"There's always going to be one person that disagrees with another person," he said.
The cause of the stoush remains unclear but it escalated to involve more than two people and ended with one person requiring hospital treatment.
A note from the chair of the Balmoral board of trustees to the school community described the incident as an altercation and said people were injured.
"On Saturday night at a PTA fundraising event, there was an altercation, and people were injured as a result. We are concerned for the well-being of those harmed in this incident," the note said.
"The board in no way condones violence and takes this matter very seriously.
"For it to happen at an event that was put on to develop community relationships is disappointing. We are also aware of how saddened the organisers feel too."
The board planned to carry out a full review of the incident in due course, the note said.
Balmoral School principal Malcolm Milner said he had left as soon as the comedians finished but had received a report on the incident from the PTA organisers.
Balmoral School Principal Malcolm Milner did not shy away from addressing the incident when approached by the Herald. The fight occurred at an adults only fundraising event off school grounds. File Photo / Dean Purcell
That report had been given to the police, he said.
"From my point of view, it's a police matter and they are investigating it," Milner said.
Police had spent more than an hour talking to one of the organisers from the PTA about the incident, he understood.
"It wasn't a mass brawl, from my interpretation," he said.
"But one person did require hospital treatment.
"And I believe there was more than two involved."
Milner said there were people at the event unconnected to the school community.
"It was a public event in a public hall, it just happened to be organised by our PTA," he said.
"It's really unfortunate that this happened and the PTA responded in the appropriate manner, they got the names of everybody involved, they got medical treatment to the person who was injured.
A police spokeswoman confirmed they received a report regarding the incident about 11.20pm on the night of the show. No one has been charged.
The spokeswoman said the report came from a witness to the incident.
"Police have made several attempts to contact the victim involved, however at this stage no further interactions have been had with police, which means there have not been any arrests or charges laid in relation to this incident."
