Husband of diploma holder pleads guilty to assaulting a teenager while intoxicated, dismissed by court
In Wellington, New Zealand, a court discharged the husband of an Australian diplomat without convicting him, following his guilty plea to assault in January. The husband, whose identity remains hidden due to permanent name suppression, was accused of spitting on a teenager during a drunken altercation in September 2022, following a rugby match between New Zealand and Australia in the capital.
Judge Paul Mabey, presiding at the Wellington District Court, acknowledged that the man's arguments for potential harm did not justify his discharge, but he agreed that an assault conviction and the publication of his name could harm the diplomat's career and bilateral relations between the two countries. The diplomat's wife suggested that her husband's conviction, combined with the widely distributed cellphone video of his arrest, could be detrimental to her future in the diplomatic service.
The man was initially entitled to diplomatic immunity as the spouse of a senior envoy to New Zealand, but he voluntarily waived this privilege to face the legal charges. His drunken behavior in Wellington's main nightlife area, where he approached a group of teenagers and became aggressive, led to his arrest by local police officers. During the altercation, he spat on a young woman.
The case received significant press coverage in both New Zealand and Australia, reporting on the man's verbally abusive behavior towards a police officer and his claim to diplomatic immunity, which later transpired to be incorrect. The offence carries a penalty of up to six months in jail and a fine of up to 4,000 New Zealand dollars (US$2,400).
Judge Mabey made it clear that the discharge did not excuse the man's actions, stating, "He was not here to be sentenced for abusing the police or rashly claiming diplomatic immunity. He was completely stupid to say it at all." However, he felt compelled to protect the diplomat's identity to avoid harming her career prospects.
The judge also rejected a request to suppress the country the diplomat represented in New Zealand. The case highlights the indirect professional consequences that legal troubles of a diplomat's spouse can have and underscores the importance of diplomatic immunity being a voluntary privilege that can be waived when facing the local legal system.
Written by Charlotte Graham-McLay, The Associated Press
- The significant press coverage of the husband's assault case, which included the wide distribution of a cellphone video of his arrest, may affect the general-news portrayal of diplomatic incidents involving crime-and-justice issues.
- As the wife of a senior Australian diplomat in New Zealand, she expressed concern that her husband's conviction could impact their future news in the general-news domain, potentially affecting their diplomatic careers.
- The diplomat's husband's discharge from the Wellington District Court without conviction, despite his guilty plea to assault, could impact the news and current political relations between New Zealand and Australia, signifying the complex nature of crime-and-justice issues in the realm of diplomacy.
