A property developer named for the first time as the defendant in an assault case involving a champagne flute at a swank Auckland mansion says he regrets someone was injured.
Andrew Laurie Montgomerie, 53, also said he is "shocked to be charged with such a serious offence".
Montgomerie pleaded not guilty in April to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. His name suppression lapsed on Thursday, following a hearing last month in which his lawyers unsuccessfully lobbied for it to continue.
In a statement issued to the media hours after his identity was reported, Montgomerie described the other man's injuries as "a shock to me, as it was undoubtedly to him".
"I certainly, am shocked to be charged with such a serious offence," he added. "So, I am left with little choice but to defend the charge so that the full context of what actually happened can be known and examined.