Serious assault charges against Kiwi media personality dropped

The man appear in court on the charges last year. Photo / file

Serious assault charges against a New Zealand media personality have been dismissed, the Herald can reveal.

The man, who now has permanent name suppression, was accused of assaulting a woman with intent to injure.

He was also charged with assaulting a second person on two separate occasions.

The allegations, however, have now been dismissed after no evidence was offered against the man before Christmas, according to the Auckland Crown prosecution's office.

Further suppression orders on what was an already publicly concealed case also prevent the Herald from publishing more details about the charges and allegations.

The man first appeared in the North Shore District Court last year to face the charges, which stemmed from alleged historical offending.

He pleaded not guilty to both charges and elected trial by jury, which was scheduled to be held later this year.

The media personality's name and occupation were initially suppressed until determination of the case but a judge allowed reporters to refer to him as a "media personality".

The man was then granted permanent name suppression by Judge David Sharp in the Auckland District Court on December 21 last year when the charges were dropped.

Particulars of the charges have also been permanently suppressed.

The Auckland Crown prosecution's office confirmed the charges were dismissed after no evidence was offered.

The man's lawyer, Marie Dyhrberg QC, said no comment would be made on behalf of her client.

Phone calls to the media personality by the Herald went unreturned, while the woman he was accused of assaulting also said she couldn't talk about the case.

Police declined to comment on the outcome of the case.