Tindallgate bouncer denies charges
Queenstown bouncer Jonathan Dixon has indicated he will plead not guilty to assault charges laid against him, saying he was trying to help the man at a Queenstown bar on January 21.
Dixon, 40, appeared in Queenstown District Court yesterday on charges of assault and wounding with reckless disregard causing grievous bodily harm, relating to the incident.
Jordan Sinke, 26, was put into an induced coma for five days after the incident and another man, Thomas Beatson, was also allegedly assaulted by Dixon.
Duty solicitor Sonia Vidal said Dixon had been trying to help the victim and did not assault him. He had not been drinking at the time of the incident, she said.
Vidal applied for interim name suppression because of Dixon’s ‘‘notoriety’’ and to allow him to try to ‘‘achieve some damage control’’ while he received legal advice.
She withdrew the application later in the day after Judge Michael Turner pointed out Dixon’s name had already been published.
Dixon was on bail at the time of the incident, awaiting trial on a charge of dishonestly accessing a computer system. The charge arose after he published footage belonging to Altitude Bar, in Queenstown, of England rugby captain Mike Tindall flirting with a mystery blonde during the Rugby World Cup last year, in an incident dubbed Tindallgate. Tindall married the Queen’s grand- daughter, Zara Phillips, six weeks before the incident.
Dixon’s new bail conditions include that he not drink alcohol, be under a 9pm-till-7am curfew, not enter licensed premises, other than supermarkets, except to work as a bouncer, and notify police of where and when he is working. He is also not allowed to associate with the victims.
Dixon was remanded without plea to appear again on February 13.