Man charged with assault on journalist in newsroom

Philip Chandler

A journalist suffered cuts and bruising when he was attacked by a man in his Queenstown office yesterday.

Garry Ferris, editor of the Mountain Scene weekly newspaper, said the man ran amok in the newspaper's office.

The assailant yelled "you called me a mental patient" as he threw journalist Philip Chandler to the ground and punched and kicked him.

Four other male staff members overpowered the man and held him until police arrived a few minutes later.

Chandler, 46, was taken to Queenstown's Lakes District Hospital, where he received stitches for two cuts to his head and treatment for swelling and bruising to his face.

He is now resting at home and is expected to return to work this week.

Ferris said the assailant demanded money from the paper before attacking Chandler.

He said the man was known to have been deeply unhappy about a story published by Mountain Scene last year.

A Press Council complaint laid by the man over the story was subsequently rejected.

The story, which did not name the man, also cited him as a drug user.

Police said a 33-year-old man living in Wanaka had been charged with assault.

He would appear in the Queenstown District Court on Monday.

- NZPA