Trial of prominent NZ musician charged with threats to kill, assault, impeding breath delayed

The man is a prominent musician in Aotearoa. Photo / 124rf

The trial for a prominent Aotearoa musician accused of nearly a dozen crimes against a woman he was in a family relationship with, including allegedly threatening to kill her on two occasions, has been delayed until next year.

He was scheduled to go to trial this week in the Auckland District Court but it was vacated after his counsel withdrew last Thursday, a court worker confirmed to the Herald.

A new court date has been assigned for February next year and the musician is being represented by a public defender.

The man is facing 11 charges for the offending, which is alleged to have occurred on seven occasions between late 2022 to late 2023 in both Auckland and Queenstown.

Seven of the charges are for assault, including a charge which specifies a drink bottle was used as a weapon and another charge citing a slipper.

The musician, who has name suppression, has also been charged with impeding her normal breathing by applying pressure to her throat.

Two threatening to kill and one threatening to do grievous bodily harm charges were also laid.

Three of the charges were for crimes that allegedly occurred on Boxing Day 2023.

The five assault charges where a weapon is not specified carry a maximum of two years’ imprisonment, the two that include allegations of a weapon hold a maximum of five years in jail.

The charges for threatening to kill, threatening to do grievous bodily harm and impeding normal breathing each carry a maximum of five years’ imprisonment.

His lawyer has been approached for comment.

It’s unclear whether the man will be performing over the summer.

He first appeared in the Auckland District Court in January this year, where not guilty pleas were entered on his behalf and Community magistrate Fenella Thomas granted his bid for interim name suppression, referencing the potential for reputational damage to him and those he works with.

As a condition of his release on bail at the time, the defendant was ordered to abide by a 7pm-7am curfew with the notable exception of nights when he is performing.

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Katie Harris is an Auckland-based journalist who covers social issues including sexual assault, workplace misconduct, media, crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2020.