Woman with prominent sportsperson facing charges shoves reporter outside court
A person accompanying a high profile sportsperson into court has shoved a journalist outside the courtroom.
The man was appearing in Wellington District Court on charges including resisting police in an incident where the man was bitten by a police dog.
He also faces counts of assault with intent to injure, injuring a police dog, and causing loss by deception.
These stem from an incident in Rongotai in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The incident stemmed from an allegedly unpaid taxi fare.
Outside court on Monday morning, a group of reporters and camerapeople were taking pictures of the man as he entered.
A woman who appeared to be with the sportsperson stepped towards media demanding they stop taking pictures.
The man repeatedly asked her to stop interceding.
When a reporter asked the man if he had anything to say, the woman appeared try to bat away the reporter's phone which was being used to record, hitting the journalist in the face.
The reporter did not appear to be injured.
The man was granted interim name suppression and remanded on bail. He will next appear in court on August 17.
The police said in a statement neither the victim nor police dog required attention for any injuries.
However the man was treated in hospital after being bitten by the dog during the arrest.