Fri 29 May 2009 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
1PM: An attempt by the lawyer of an Auckland man charged with infecting young men with HIV to have her client remanded at large with restrictions on his contacts and activities has just been denied in the District Court. The lawyer asked the court to take into account that a jury trial might take a year or more to be convened. In denying the application Judge Josephine Bouchier said there was a high chance the man would offend and she was concerned that yesterday he tried to avoid the police. She also noted that the man was in the habit of looking for sexual encounters "in a variety of ways." The defence lawyer suggested that the man could remain at large but be blocked from internet access and personal contact with individuals and groups, including people of certain ages, but the Judge felt this was not feasible. She repeated prosecution claims that the man has already tried to interfere with a witness, leaving that person feeling "intimidated." The police said that some victims are "fearful of bail being granted," with the crown lawyer telling the court that the alleged victims of the man will "never be cured of their HIV infection and will suffer sexually, socially, emotionally and psychologically." The prosecutor noted that the man has in the past been diagnosed with HIV, hepatitis and chlamydia. Clarifying her interim identity suppression order, made late this morning, Judge Bouchier said it includes future use of pixelated images such as already used by TV One's Close Up programme and GayNZ.com. The defendant has not entered a plea and is to reappear in court on June 19th.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Friday, 29th May 2009 - 12:53pm