Banks' mudslinger: 'It's revenge'

John Banks was attacked with a bucket of mud as he arrived at the High Court in Auckland. Photo / Brett Phibbs

The man charged with throwing mud over Act MP John Banks as he walked into an Auckland court says he waited more than 20 years for revenge.

Well-known anti-royal protester Castislav Sam Bracanov today denied a charge of common assault laid over the mud-flinging.

Outside the Auckland District Court, Bracanov told reporters his grudge against Banks dated back to the early 1990s when Banks was police minister in Jim Bolger's National government.

A member of the royal family, or "the smell" as Bracanov calls them, visited and he decided to hurl mud at a slow-moving car ferrying a royal.

He was fined $10,000, which he said was excessive, and blamed Banks for.

By 1997 Banks was a talkback host on Radio Pacific and Bracanov was a caller.

"He's the one who cut me off," Bracanov said.

When asked why he pleaded not guilty to throwing mud at banks, he said: "Because I did not do it. I [did] purposely to him what he did to me."

Bracanov said a fine of $1000 to $2000 was more reasonable but added that he was now even with Banks.

"This is not an insult. It's revenge."

Banks' High Court trial accused of falsifying an electoral return was delayed by more than two hours after he had to change his suit after the mud was thrown at him.

Bracanov was agitated when he first appeared in the dock today and was taken into custody to calm down before he came back and entered his plea. He was bailed until his next appearance in August.