Wellington mayoral candidate Graham Bloxham in court

Thursday, 29 May 2025

Wellington mayoral candidate Graham Bloxham has appeared in Wellington District Court, charged with failing to stop for police.

Bloxham, 56, who also runs the popular Wellington Live social media sites, was charged after an alleged incident in Wellington on May 2.

The charge was failing to stop when he was followed by an enforcement officer driving with flashing blue and red lights or sounding a siren.

He did not enter a plea and the case was adjourned to June 13 to speak to his lawyer.

According to the police charging document he faces a maximum penalty of $10,000 fine, if convicted. Because the only penalty is a fine he did not have to enter the dock.

At the time of his arrest, Bloxham told The Post he believed the the actions of police were over-the-top.

“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.

Bloxham announced his candidacy in January. He is also running in the Motukairangi/Eastern ward for a council seat.