Wellington mayoral candidate Graham Bloxham arrested

Monday, 5 May 2025

Graham Bloxham on a recent mr_bloxham Facebook Threads video, where some details of his arrest were also posted.

This story was originally published on The Post and is republished with permission.

Wellington mayoral candidate Graham Bloxham has confirmed he was arrested while driving in central Wellington – and backtracked on claims it was “fake” news.

“Yesterday I got pulled over, arrested for failing to stop after he said i was driving dangerously, thrown in the back of a Skoda, and my car impounded for 6 months [sic],” a post on the mr_bloxham page from Saturday says.

“The copper cuffed me so hard my wrists nearly bled, and I can hardly feel my thumbs nearly 24 hrs later.Then he gave me a letter to go to court and another letter to appeal and get my car back earlier. WTF is going on with WLG Police. Has anyone had anything like this.”

A later post, appearing to be from Bloxham, was put up on a Wainuiomata Facebook page claiming “any post on here about me is fake. It’s a fake profile”. However, The Post has been unable to find that post and has only seen a screen shot of it.

A post on Saturday on the mr_bloxham Facebook threads page.

Bloxham on Sunday said news of his arrest was “fake”, before sending a new statement on Monday morning confirming the arrest.

“The officer thought he saw me take a photo of me ‘taking a photo of the closed terrace tunnel’ drove 100m up the motorway, the wrong way, raced onto the terrace [sic],” he said via text message.

“I thought he was going past me to the scene I was going to, as there was a person in the tunnel in distress. I couldn't pull over as it was on the terrace, cars each side, he then arrested me for not stopping ‘but I couldn't stop’.

“He smashed the cuffs on me, [then] had to take them off and double cuff as they were 110% cutting my circulation off.”

Bloxham said he was driven to the police station and given a form to get his car returned.

Graham Bloxham announced he was running for mayor in January.

“An absolutely crazy experience that I'm sure this officer would rather he didn't do,” he said. He alleged the officer was over-the-top.

“I still can't feel my thumbs.”

In statement, police said a man was due to appear in the Wellington District Court on May 29, charged with failing to stop for police.

“Anybody who wishes to make a complaint about police can do so through the appropriate channels,” it said.

Bloxham announced his plan to run for the mayoralty in January. He is also running in the Motukairangi/Eastern ward for a council seat.

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