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RYAN ANDERSON / Stuff
An athlete has chosen to keep his identity a secret before the Auckland High Court. (File photo)
A high-profile athlete facing multiple drug charges would face extreme hardship if named, his attorney says.
The man, in his 30s, pleaded not guilty to possessing and importing methamphetamine in December 2019. He is scheduled to go to trial later this year.
In December, Judge David McIlraith declined to let the man continue with the name suppression after the man argued his career would suffer.
The man’s attorney, Greg Bradford, immediately appealed that decision. The appeal was heard in Auckland High Court on Wednesday in front of Judge Rebecca Edwards, who reserved her trial.
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Bradford said his client would suffer extreme hardship if named.
He said the district court judge did not pay enough attention to the man’s personal circumstances or his rights to a fair trial.
Alden Williams / Stuff
The man appeared in Auckland High Court on Tuesday. (File photo)
“At this stage of the proceedings, open justice needs to wait a little longer,” Bradford said.
However, Crown Prosecutor Jessica Pridgeon said there is no evidence that the defendant will miss out on job opportunities if appointed.
Pridgeon said there was nothing out of the ordinary in the case and that the rights of man to a fair trial would not be affected more than others in the same position.
“Being well known … does not mean that the accused will suffer extreme hardship if his name is published,” he said.
In Judge McIlraith’s earlier decision, he said there was no evidence that the publication of the man’s name affected his rights to a fair trial.
“The alleged crime in which [the defendant] is involved is serious. It involves importing significant quantities of methamphetamine into New Zealand. “
Judge McIlraith said that while the athlete’s public profile meant there could be more publicity surrounding the charges, that was not an extreme hardship.
“There is nothing unusual about [the defendant’s] situation.”
The continued deletion of the name has been opposed by Things.
