Road rage: Ponsonby CEO says stress and financial ruin over supercar name withholding case

The Herald obtained a copy of an affidavit submitted by the CEO last week as part of a request to withhold his name.

The man, who was also charged with dangerous driving, wrote that he would face “financial ruin” if the media published his name.

He claimed that the company he founded was based on several large international supply contracts that could be voided if his identity was linked to the alleged crime “because it could damage the reputation of their companies.”

The man stated that he built his company from scratch and had no other qualifications or experience.

“I’m worried about my future if my reputation gets hurt.”

Despite Herald Offered the man multiple opportunities to present his side of the story, he declined to be interviewed.

In his affidavit, he said the event that led to his arrest was misrepresented in the media and was “extremely one-sided.”

“The physical altercation that occurred was not at all as described.

“The media portrayed me as a terrible person who would beat up an elderly man.”

The company executive, who co-owns a $2 million mansion in central Auckland with his father, also said he is not as wealthy as he might think.

“The media perceived my wealth as much greater than it actually is.

“I have a mortgage to pay and my car is on credit.”

He repeated that the publication of his identity could cause his company “significant image and financial damage.”

Finally, he claimed that being charged over the incident had affected his mental and physical health.

“I was under a lot of stress and couldn’t sleep.

“I have seen comments online and obvious hatred towards a younger, anonymous person regarding these allegations.

“I was worried about going outside in public places because of the way the media portrayed these events.”

In his statement, he asked the judge to withhold his name to protect his reputation.

“I have a mortgage and I am concerned that I will not be able to repay my mortgage as a result of the financial damage that would likely result if publication were not ordered.”

“Lustful Interest”

At Friday’s hearing in North Shore District Court, the man’s lawyer, Guyon Foley, asked Judge Tony Couch to issue a temporary restraining order until at least May next year, arguing that his client would otherwise suffer “extreme hardship.”

The Herald opposed the application, arguing that identifying the man was in the public interest.

Judge Couch granted the order but cautioned that the man’s arguments for suppression “just and only marginally” met the required threshold.

Addressing the defendant directly, the judge said that public attention in this case was drawn to “the car he was driving.”

“A public that cannot afford such vehicles inevitably has a rather prurient interest in ensuring that those who own such vehicles” are brought to justice.

Although the judge decided to dismiss the case, he warned the defendant that the order was in no way permanent, especially if the man was convicted.

The judge also gave Foley a penalty for turning over a copy of his client’s motion to vacate custody and an affidavit on the morning of the hearing.

He stated that this was to the detriment of the media.

However, an order was issued to conceal the case, preventing the media from reporting the name of the accused or his company, and the case was brought to an independent hearing next year.

“Lift My Ass”

The charges relate to an incident on the Northern Highway.

A pensioner claims he was attacked on the side of the road on the Highgate Parkway after the businessman’s 2019 luxury vehicle “rear-ended” him.

In a written statement to police, the pensioner said he was driving north on SH1 when he noticed a sports car “coming up my ass” and trying to overtake.

The man picked up the sports car and drove to its left side as the driver waved and gesticulated.

“I thought, ‘What a clown,’ and I actually gave him a one-finger salute,” the man wrote.

The sports car then allegedly parked in front of the elderly man’s Kia and slowed down to about 60 km/h, the retiree alleged.

He then felt a “thump” as the two vehicles collided.

After turning into Millwater, both cars stopped. The pensioner said he was walking towards a sports car when the driver allegedly “charged at me” and “started punching me in the head left and right.”

The driver allegedly pulled the elderly man’s sweatshirt over his head and threw him to the ground, “where he continued to shower my head and body,” the affidavit said, leaving him “dazed and disoriented” and close to passing him outside.

After the incident, both men filed a police report, blaming the other for the brutal altercation.

The retiree’s family says they were amazed that the retired mechanic was facing charges and will defend the case at trial.

The president said Herald the pensioner was to blame, not him.

“I was attacked by this man,” he said, adding: “there is a possibility that I was injured.”

After speaking with his lawyer, he declined to comment further.

Lane Nichols is deputy head of news and senior journalist for the New Zealand Herald with over 20 years’ experience in the industry.

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