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Cricket Wellington has “dropped” the sponsorship of Sir Ron Brierley, the Wellington-raised corporate assailant who was allegedly found with thousands of images of child exploitation last year.
Businesses in the capital have been grappling with how to deal with their ties to the businessman, whose name has graced buildings he has funded at schools and sports fields.
Cricket Wellington confirmed that it had replaced Brierley as a sponsor, but declined to say whether it would return the entrepreneur’s past donations or accept future donations.
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Brierley’s was replaced as a sponsor of Cricket Wellington at the October annual meeting, much to the chagrin of John Morrison, a former New Zealand cricketer and life member of Cricket Wellington. Morrison, also a former Wellington city councilor, left the meeting.
“I was horrified to learn of Sir Ron’s abandonment, and let’s not beat around the bush and try to fix the windows – that’s what they did, ‘they threw it away,'” Morrison said at the meeting, according to his speech notes.
“My involvement with Cricket Wellington started in the mid-1960s and the one absolute constant since then, and through crisis after crisis, has been Ron Brierley.”
Sydney morning herald
Sir Ron Brierley leaving the Downing Center in Sydney in February after being charged with possession of child abuse material on his computer.
Morrison said that “Ron has been there for us” in supporting the club, but the club had not adhered to the principle of innocence until proven guilty.
Brierley, then 82, was detained by Australian Border Force officials in December 2019 while trying to board a flight from Sydney to Fiji. Detectives seized his carry-on luggage, laptop, and electronic storage units and allegedly discovered more than 200,000 images and 512 videos.
Brierley remains on bail and is due to appear again via video link on Dec. 10.
kevin stent
John Morrison walked out of a Cricket Wellington meeting after he “scrapped” Sir Ron Brierley as a sponsor. (File photo)
“This could be a massive criminal plot. This could be a great “blackmail” job. This could be a mafia-style hacking. This might not even go to trial, ”Morrison said.
“We don’t know, we have no idea at all, but we’re still abandoning our wonderful cricket benefactor and cricket great friend. I am very angry, bitterly disappointed and absolutely ashamed of this behavior. “
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Sir Ron Brierley photographed in 1979.
Cricket Wellington declined to address the removal of Brierley and said in a statement that it would not comment further.
New Zealand cricketer, cricket administrator and educator Trish McKelvey was the new sponsor, a position that was considered annually. She was the first new patron in 14 years.
Sir Ron Brierley when he left court in Sydney in February.
Brierley is an older boy from Wellington College and has been a benefactor of the school, which has the Brierley Theater and Sir Ron Brierley Turf.
School board president Paul Retimanu said the board was “aware of the need to observe due process.”
“We will be closely watching the outcome of the judicial process and will review the names of the buildings if appropriate,” Retimanu said.
The board’s first obligation was to the students and the school community, he said.
Basin Reserve’s former Brierley Pavilion has now been moved and is an office block for Zealandia’s shrine in Karori called the Pukeahu building.
