Woman fined for harassing businessman

A woman has been fined $300 for harassing a prominent Nelson businessman by making persistent phone calls.

A charge of blackmailing the man, whose name is suppressed, is to be withdrawn.

Hubertina Rosalia Waelen, 47, of Nelson, admitted a charge of misuse of a telephone when she appeared in Nelson District Court yesterday.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Wayne Johnston told the court the businessman once employed a relative of Waelen who became involved in a dispute about a final salary payment.

On March 20 Waelen had been drinking, and made repeated calls to the businessman's cellphone, despite being told to stop ringing.

He eventually turned the phone off, but Waelen continued to ring and leave messages threatening to "tarnish the complainant's reputation within the community unless the pay dispute was resolved", Mr Johnston said.

Defence lawyer Herman Roose said Waelen had been at a "crossroads" in her life, and was now planning to leave New Zealand.

"The matter did come to a head with her ringing... but there was some considerable amount of money that was outstanding."

Waelen was no longer as closely involved with the dispute, Mr Roose said.

She was undergoing alcohol abuse counselling.

Mr Roose requested Waelen be given final name suppression as she was "embarrassed, and would like to be able to deal with the matter other than through public scrutiny".

Judge Tony Zohrab turned down the request.

"There's no reason why you should be treated any differently to anyone else who appears today," he said.

- nzpa