New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, with his wife Bronagh, having a coffee at their local coffee shop. Photo / Brett Phibbs
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, with his wife Bronagh, having a coffee at their local coffee shop. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Private prosecutor Graham McCready is calling for Bronagh Key to take the witness stand if an assault charge hearing over her husband's ponytail-pulling "fetish" goes ahead.
The serial litigant travelled by bus from Hamilton to file paperwork on a proposed assault charge against Prime Minister John Key at the Auckland District Court this morning.
The action comes after Mr Key made international headlines last week when a blog reported an anonymous waitress at a Parnell cafe had her ponytail tugged by Mr Key on repeated occasions.
In papers filed to the court, Mr McCready named Mr Key's wife Bronagh as one of 11 witnesses to the alleged assault.
Others include the Rosie cafe waitress whose ponytail was pulled, Amanda Bailey, as well as the cafe manager, two police officers and TV3 reporter Tova O'Brien.
Mr McCready was pushing for an oral evidence hearing to be ordered by a judge.
"It would be dreaming in legal technicolour to expect for the defendant's wife to offer a formal statement. But she is a material witness," Mr McCready stated in his application to the court.
Wellington accountant Graham McCready. Photo / Richard Robinson
The alleged offending could not be dismissed as trivial, Mr McCready said.
In the documents, submitted today, Mr McCready said Mr Key's attempt to apologise to Ms Bailey with two bottles of wine was insincere.
"This was not a game of 'horseplay' as claimed ... Rather it was an ongoing act of harassment where the victim was stalked and assaulted ... continually in her workplace.
"The named defender has pulled the hair of other young women and appears to have a female hair pulling sexual fetish."
Outside court, Mr McCready said it was important that all women felt safe in their workplace.
"I've got two daughters myself. The whole point is that there'll be a bunch of middle-aged men who'll think twice before letting their hands wander around the place."
A judge would now determine whether sufficient evidence could be brought forward in order to warrant a trial, Mr McCready said. The paperwork would be officially filed then.
Mr McCready has already filed two other cases over the ponytail-pulling incident -- a sexual harassment complaint against Mr Key to the Human Rights Commission, and a code of conduct complaint against two police officers to the Independent Police Authority.
He has written to Ms Bailey but has not heard back.
Amanda Bailey (front left). Photo / Dean Purcell
Ms Bailey is also considering legal action and will be represented by the Unite Union if she chooses to proceed.
The 26 year-old waitress approached the union after she was named as the author of last week's anonymous post on the left-wing Daily Blog, in which she detailed harassment by Mr Key.
The union did not say who any complaint or legal action would target.
