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Source: ONE News
Six-times Thai kick-boxing world champion Jason Suttie has failed in a bid to keep his name suppressed on aggravated robbery and blackmail charges.
Suttie, who held the world title from 1996 to 2001, was initially granted name suppression despite police opposition.
Last week in the High Court at Auckland, Justice Rebecca Ellis reversed the order, allowing Suttie, who faces High Court trial in August, to be named.
Suttie's lawyers maintained that naming his client would do "irreparable damage" to his reputation and business affairs, saying there would also be harm in relation to a television advertising campaign for a new energy drink in which Suttie features.
Further, Suttie's counsel says his client should not be named because of the presumption of innocence.
Justice Ellis says Suttie maintained in his affidavit his Thai kick-box gym had been operating for 10 years and was the best known in Auckland. He worked as a professional Thai boxing coach and most of his income came from gym clients.
Justice Ellis accepts that some potential clients might not use his gym because of the charges he was facing but she says there is nothing in the allegations that reflect on his ability to run his gym or coach Thai kick-boxing.
Furthermore, she says people are well aware of the concept of innocent until proven guilty.
She says that the factors in favour of continuing name suppression are"not particularly compelling" and are insufficient to outweigh the presumption of open justice.
