DIA prosecutes high-profile Wellington publican and his son over security licensing
Tuesday, 5 April 2022
A high-profile Wellington publican, his son and their bar are being taken to court following a Department of Internal Affairs investigation that was prompted after an assault on three people by a bouncer.
DIA manager investigations, Marty Greentree, said Nick Mills, his son Jordan Mills, and the bar, Boston on Blair, are being prosecuted for offences relating to being unlicensed under the Private Security Personnel and Private Investigators Act 2010.
The prosecution followed an investigation, which was launched after a bouncer at the bar, Pavali Logovae, was filmed allegedly stomping on the head of a man before pushing a patio heater on top of him, injuring two others.
**READ MORE:
* Wellington bar bouncer filmed stomping on head of man lying on ground
**
Logovae was sentenced in the Wellington District Court on Tuesday for the incident on February 28 last year, after previously pleading guilty to two charges of wounding with intent to injure and one of assault with intent to injure.
The court heard on Tuesday that the incident began about 12.45am, when an intoxicated man was denied entry to the bar by Logovae. The man then began punching Logovae several times.
Two other bouncers then proceeded to punch the man, before Logovae punched him once, causing him to fall to the ground, the court heard.
Video footage posted to social media shortly after the incident showed Logovae then appearing to stomp on the man’s head while he was on the ground, and push a patio heater on top of him, causing two others attempting to help the man to be injured.
The first victim was taken to hospital with moderate injuries.
Nick Mills, who owns several bars around Wellington, and the Saints basketball franchise, as well as hosting the Newstalk ZB Wellington morning show, declined to comment on the charges, hanging up when contacted by Stuff.
He is listed as the sole director of Blair St Limited, which trades as Boston on Blair.
His son and the manager of the bar, which is currently closed, Jordan Mills, also did not respond to a request to comment.
Under New Zealand law, anyone working as a bouncer or in event security requires a crowd controller licence – a Certificate of Approval.
The rule was brought in with the Private Security Personnel and Private Investigators Act 2010, which aims to ensure those that offer private security and private investigators are suitably qualified and appropriate to carry out the work.
It was first introduced following the death of Cedric George Joyce in 2005, who died from asphyxiation outside a Blenheim bar while being restrained, face down, by bouncers.
The Ministry of Justice states fines issued for working without appropriate licences could be between $20,000-$60,000.
At Logovae’s sentencing Judge Peter Hobbs acknowledge the level of provocation involved in the incident, but said there had been “an obvious impact” on the victims, as a result of his actions.
Logovae had “a number of convictions” and was on his final warning under the three-strikes law, meaning he is on his second strike.
Previously, Logovae said he regretted the way he responded to the assault, but said he was scared for his life after being punched in the chest, as he underwent open-heart surgery in 2020.
“I was fearing for my life. I tried to defend myself, I was scared if someone punched me in my chest, as I just finished heart surgery. If I didn't handle it I would have been on the ground, and he would have stomped on my head, I know it.” he said last year.
In 2015, police labelled Blair St, along with the car park at New World Wellington City, generally known as Chaffers New World 'Wellington's crime corridor', after it became a hub for alcohol abuse, fights, theft and disorderly conduct during the weekend.