Michael Laws Michael Laws has laid an official complaint against Jevan Goulter, saying he has "never come across such a despicable, dirty and probably illegal smear campaign", in his 25 years in politics. The police complaint is for Goulter being in the possession of and attempting to sell private email and text correspondence between Laws and a former P-addict he had a relationship with, Jacqueline Sperling. The Wanganui mayor and broadcaster has also laid a complaint against Goulter's associate, beauty pageant organiser Barbara Osborne, for allegedly hacking into his private emails and relaying its content to third parties. You can read the full details of the complaints and Laws' evidence here Tension between Laws and Goulter spilled over into an altercation at the Wanganui Radio Live studio yesterday morning, as the 21-year-old attempted to serve the broadcaster with legal papers in his bid to take him to court for defamation. Laws says he was angry and "manhandled" the young candidate, because Goulter had tried to serve papers on his five-year-old daughter as she left school on Friday. Goulter has laid an assault complaint with police. "In all my 25 years of local and national political experience, I have not come across such a despicable, dirty and probably illegal smear campaign - as that currently being practised against myself, my family and my friends," Laws said today in announcing the police complaints. "It has become so vicious and so low that my five-year-old daughter has been drawn into the political stunts and games of these people." Speaking with GayNZ.com last night, Goulter said the incident at the school has been blown out of proportion, denying he tried to serve papers on the girl. "I would never approach a five-year-old child and try and hand them something. I haven't gone too far. That's been blown out of proportion." Laws explains the resulting altercation at the radio studios in the flowing way, "I placed both my hands on Goulter's lapels, pushed him backwards and forcibly warned him of what would occur should he attempt to draw my children into his sick and sordid stunts." "I understand that subsequent to this exchange, he and Barbara Ann Osborne have laid complaints of assault. I did not strike or push Osborne but attempted to stop her taking flash photographs of myself. I did not strike Goulter. I probably should have." Laws says there has been a systemic campaign of harassment against his friends and family. "There are others involved, and I will also be passing their names and actions to the police for further investigation."
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 26th August 2010 - 12:48pm