Ryder assault: Accused loses bid to have case dropped

Jesse Ryder. Photo / File / Paul Taylor

A builder accused of assaulting cricketer Jesse Ryder outside a Christchurch bar last year has lost a legal bid to have charges against him thrown out.

The 38-year-old Canterbury man, who has name suppression, will now stand trial later in the year.

He was charged with assault and injuring with reckless disregard for safety after the incident outside a Merivale bar last March.

Ryder, who had been out socialising with his now former Wellington Firebirds teammates, spent several days in a coma after the incident.

Jonathan Eaton QC, acting for the accused, applied for a stay of proceedings at Christchurch District Court in February this year.

The lawyer argued that the charges should be dropped because widespread pre-trial media coverage meant that the man would not receive a fair trial.

But in a newly-released reserved decision, Judge Brian Callaghan refused the application.

"In all the circumstances, I do not consider a stay is warranted,'' the judge ruled.

Judge Callaghan suppressed the full contents of his decision "because of the risk of further adverse publicity regarding this matter''.

The accused will appear in court on Friday for a pre-trial hearing.