Robbery broadcast may bring legal action
Media may face legal action for repeated broadcasts of security camera footage of the Woolston Liquor Store robbery on Saturday night.
Judge Brian Callaghan was told in the Youth Court today that two youths – now identified as aged 15 and 16 – were identifiable in the footage because there had been no pixellation.
The youth advocate appearing for both youths today, Colin Eason, said the footage had been broadcast on television again on Monday night, long after the prosecution had begun and the ages of the youths were known.
The police prosecutor told the court he believed the liquor shop owners had originally put the footage on Facebook to try to identify the robbers. He believed media may have picked it up from there.
Judge Callaghan told Mr Eason that the remedy may be to make a complaint about the media breaching the Children, Young Persons, and their Families Act by identifying young persons before the court.
He was also told that many social workers who had seen the news coverage believed they had been able to identify the youths.
The footage shows bottles of liquor being smashed over the head of the shop assistant.
Judge Callaghan ruled that the court registrar would immediately contact the television networks to stop them broadcasting the footage, and made an order suppressing from publication any media film – either moving or still – which showed the alleged offenders for the aggravated robbery or associated charges.
Three youths have been charged and two of them made second appearances in the Christchurch Youth Court today where Judge Callaghan remanded them in custody to appear again on September 8.
Mr Eason said no bail applications would be made today, but it may be considered at the next appearance.
One youth will be held in the Youth Justice facility at Te Puna Wai near Christchurch, but the other will be taken to Palmerston North where there is a bed available for the week.
A third youth who had recently turned 17 appeared yesterday in the District Court and was remanded in custody to September 21.
Category: News
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