February 05, 2013

Police sergeant admits assault charge

By David Clarkson at Nga Hau e Wha marae

A Christchurch police sergeant has admitted an assault on a man who was said to have examined and photographed the contents of his cellphone, which had left behind at a the scene of a domestic dispute.

Name suppression has also been lifted on Sergeant Craig Elliot Prior, who was described in the Christchurch District Court at the Nga Hau e Wha marae today as ?a serving senior police officer in Christchurch?.

Diversion is to be considered ? the system under which the police drop charges against first offenders if they apologise and make amends ? but that application will have to be considered by the Commissioner of Police in this case.

Defence counsel Jonathan Eaton criticised the media for reporting prior to today?s appearance about name suppression being granted ahead of the case being called, with the suggestion that there had been ?preferential treatment?.

He said the suppression had only been sought because there was a delay for an out-of-town prosecutor to be arranged and for the police to provide the defence with copies of their files on the case.

The media comment on the New Zealand Herald website had been ?ill informed?, he told Judge Paul Kellar.

Prior has been remanded at large ? no bail was required ? to April 2 for the decision to be made on diversion. Mr Eaton said that if it was not granted, there would be an application for a discharge without conviction.

He said the assault arose from an incident, believed to be on November 24 in Christchurch, when the police had been called to a domestic dispute and cannabis had been found being grown at the address.

Prior attended the incident and later found he had left his cellphone at the address. The person at the address phoned in to say he had been through the phone, found it interesting, and photographed the contents.

It was Prior?s personal phone and his Police Association phone. ?It contained much private, privileged, and personal information, including photographs and details of his children.?

When the police went to the address, Prior reached through a gate and held the man by the scruff of the neck and asked about the phone and what photographs had been taken.