Ex- All Black wins back gun licence
Judge expresses concern about former player’s attitude to alcohol and firearms in reinstatement decision
Former All Black Andrew Hore has won his court battle to have his firearms licence reinstated despite a judge’s concerns over his attitude to shooting and alcohol.
The ex- Highlanders hooker was stripped of his licence in October 2015 after an incident five months earlier when 25- year- old Daniel Parker sustained a gunshot wound while duck shooting on Hore’s Ranfurly farm known as “Stonehenge”.
The six- strong hunting party told authorities a firearm had fallen from the back of a quad bike and accidentally discharged, but police were sceptical about that explanation.
Hore took his case to the Dunedin District Court last year and Judge Michael Crosbie released his judgment yesterday overruling the police’s decision.
The judge was particularly critical of the police case, which saw them decline to cross- examine Hore or anyone who wrote affidavits in his support.
The only person called to give evidence at the November hearing was Inspector Olaf Jensen, who relied on the assessment of t wo ambulance officers who attended the 2015 incident.
“That was a significant shortcoming in this appeal and the approach taken by the police on appeal appeared half- hearted,” Judge Crosbie said.
The most high- profile of those to file a reference in Hore’s favour was his former All Black captain Richie McCaw.
“From my experience in using firearms with him, and having observed his demeanour and cautious approach to firearms use, I have no concerns around his firearms licence being restored to him,” he wrote.
If the police had wanted to question McCaw or any of the deponents, they would have had to give evidence at the appeal hearing at the Dunedin District Court.
Another who spoke up in favour of Hore was All Black mental- skills coach Gilbert Enoka, who called him “honest, loyal and reliable”.
“A quite responsible person . . . [ nothing] suggestive of a personality disorder indulging in risk taking or any other tendency that would make him an inappropriate person to hold a firearms licence.”
Hore was convicted of supplying a firearm to an unlicensed person over the shooting incident and fined $ 400, plus court costs of $ 130. Judge Crosbie said the sentence indicated the offence was at the lower end of the scale.
However, he remained worried about Hore’s attitude.
“I am concerned about the line maintained by the appellant with respect to alcohol. I am well aware that there are those who will advocate for the culture of a few drinks when shooting, although from his own evidence I query whether the appellant’s habits are of ‘ a few’,” the judge said.
“The appellant’s status as a sportsman has undoubtedly attracted more attention towards his transgressions than might otherwise be the case, a reminder of the magnifying glass that lies over the lives of many.
“Rightly or wrongly, such status often attracts behavioural expectations and scrutiny from the public. In that regard, the appellant’s thinking around firearms and alcohol might require some calibration.”
Judge Crosbie accepted from defence counsel David Robinson that there was no evidence of gross intoxication.
Though a now infamous incident where Hore shot and killed a male seal on the Otago Peninsula was 10 years ago, he said he was entitled to take previous conduct into account.
The judge noted the revocation had left the former rugby player without a firearms licence for 18 months and he hoped it would be a “salutary reminder” of his responsibilities. A Kiwi teen attacked by a cheetah while on a family holiday in South Africa was lucky he wasn’t more seriously hurt in the “harrowing” ordeal, an animal behaviour expert says. Isaac Driver, 14, received injuries to his back and shoulder when he was attacked while leaving a cheetah enclosure and pinned to the ground by the big cat. His mother Mandy Driver told Radio New Zealand Isaac was okay, and she did not want the park shut down. Massey University lecturer in animal behaviour and welfare Rachael Stratton said while the attack would have been terrifying, “it could have been much worse”. Cheetahs weren’t usually aggressive but because they were wild animals could be unpredictable and there were myriad reasons why the animal may have attacked, she told the Herald. Isaac and his family were touring a safari park in KwaZulu- Natal on Wednesday morning ( local time). They were among a group of about 20 people at the Emdoneni park who were supervised as they patted two cheetahs. The US Embassy is refusing to allow New Zealand police to speak to an American diplomat involved in an incident in Lower Hutt. Police want to interview the embassy staff member, named by TVNZ as Colin White, over an incident on Sunday. It is not known what occurred, but TVNZ reported that White was left with a broken nose and a black eye. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade ( MFAT) spokesman said it asked the US Embassy on Monday to waive White’s diplomatic immunity so police could investigate. “The United States Government has today declined to waive the diplomat’s immunity,” the spokesman said. “Therefore, MFAT has asked the United States to withdraw the staff member in question from New Zealand.” The US Embassy confirmed it was speaking to New Zealand authorities about the case. A car has hit a 10- year- old boy in West Auckland and he has been taken to Starship hospital with serious injuries. Police attended the scene of the crash on Rathgar Rd in Henderson, near St Dominic’s College, when the boy was hit at 3.30 yesterday afternoon. Police said the serious crash unit will be investigating. A third person has died following a house fire southeast of Taupo in the early hours of yesterday morning. Police have confirmed the man died in hospital yesterday afternoon as a result of his injuries. The scene examination will be continued today. A baby and a woman died and three people were taken to Waikato Hospital by helicopter after the fire broke out shortly before 3am. The National Party has received another $ 50,000 from the head of milk exporter Oravida, which was once caught up in a conflict of interest claim. Oravida’s founder Deyi ( Stone) Shi made the donation earlier this month. Shi’s company, which also exports wine, seafood, freshwater and meat to China, has close ties to National. Former National Prime Minister Jenny Shipley is the chairwoman and director David Wong- Tung is the husband of Revenue Minister Judith Collins. Shi is also the owner of Ardmore airport and bought former Hanover director Mark Hotchin’s Paritai Drive mansion for $ 39m in 2013. A teenager who won widespread admiration for her courage in the face of cancer has died at her home in Kaitaia, aged 18. Te Amohaere Ella Rudolph passed away on Thursday surrounded by her family. A service will be held at Kaitaia’s Te Ahu Centre at 11am on Monday. She is survived by her parents, Vincent and Annie, and siblings. The Kaitaia College student won the school’s prestigious Clifford Matthews Award for community service, academics, culture and sport. Te Amohaere survived a liver tumour as a toddler but relapsed in 2014. A sub- heading in yesterday’s Herald said the Department of Corrections had been paying $ 300- plus a night to house staff seconded to cover shortages at the Northland Region Corrections Facility. This is incorrect. As stated in the story, Corrections paid less than $ 150 per night for each staff member. The error is regretted.