Pair's obscene calls to MP

Katherine Rich

Two men who used obscene and sexually explicit language in telephone messages intended for MP Katherine Rich were convicted in Dunedin District Court yesterday.

Sean Ian Pryde, 26, sickness beneficiary, and Benjamin Victor Gaston, 25, contractor, admitted a Telecommunications Act charge of using obscene language by telephone with intent to offend Ms Rich on September 8.

Pryde, who had previous convictions, was ordered to perform 120 hours' community work, cumulative on a current term. Gaston, not previously before the court, was fined $1200 and refused name suppression.

Police prosecutor Tim Hambleton said the men had been drinking at Pryde's address and found National Party newspaper advertisements listing two phone numbers to ring for help with transport on election day.

They left messages on both numbers - an out-of-town parliament phone and a personal phone of Ms Rich, between 9pm and 11pm.

Pryde admitted making about three calls, "to be a nuisance and fill up her message machine".

Gaston remembered making at least five phone calls, "as an expression of dissatisfaction with political propaganda, influenced by too much alcohol".

Lawyer Anne Stevens said what originally seemed like a hilarious idea "got out of hand".

Judge Gary MacAskill said a transcript showed some calls were grossly offensive but acknowledged that the pair had apologised and deserved credit for owning up.

- NZPA