Media access has been blocked for all evidence at the depositions hearing of child assault charges against a Christchurch professional musician, James Louis Mason.
The preliminary hearing was held before Caroline Kellaway and Percy Acton-Adams, Justices of the Peace, in the Christchurch District Court today, and Mason was committed for trial.
But the JPs refused a radio application for recording the evidence, and another media application for in-court photography.
When Mason’s defence counsel Elizabeth Bulger indicated that the evidence of all four prosecution witnesses would be handed to the JPs in written form, the eight reporters present made a joint application to see the briefs of evidence.
Miss Bulger opposed the application because she would have wanted the opportunity to have some sections of the evidence suppressed, and the JPs decided to decline the application.
Mason, 49, has been charged with assaulting his two sons aged two and four, and the case is attracting media attention because it may be a test of the anti-smacking laws.
Will they find him guilty? I don't think so, it would just reinforce in the minds of New Zealanders that the law is bad, invasive and pointless. I think they'll let him off (even though he has broken the law), let's wait and see.
3 comments:
Given that there are two witnesses (a Nurse and a Police Officer) giving evidence against him who have said that he punched his eldest son aged 4 in the face with a clenched fist, lifted up the bike with the 2 year old boy still on it, slamming it down and lastly was yelling "f**king listen" to his kids do you think he should still get off because "it would just reinforce in the minds of New Zealanders that the law is bad"?
Or do you think the law is working just fine and they brought assault charges against him because he actually assaulted his kids
Punching a child in the face is absolutely not "reasonable force", and if these witnesses are correct, then Jimmy Mason must be prosecuted for assault against his son(s).
It will take years and years for gullible new zealanders to understand that there is a thriving business called domestic violence industry. They have just manufactured a client to the violence programs professors, lawyers, psychologists etc.
Three institutions manufacture violence in our streets. The violent youth we see today is the same age as the domestic violence act.
Three institutions constitute the triangle of violence in NZ. They are the family court, women's refuge and cyfs. Wake up NZ.
jitiess. Christchurch
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