‘Misguided’ pastor behind protests avoids conviction
He organised anti-mandate gatherings attended by thousands when the Waikato was in the midst of an alert level 3 lockdown, yet a ‘‘misguided’’ Destiny Church pastor has escaped a criminal conviction for doing so.
Judge Kim Saunders granted John James Ferris, 56, of Rotokauri, Hamilton, a discharge without conviction when he appeared in the Hamilton District Court yesterday, on the basis that, through the church, he had done much good work in the community to support those in need.
The judge also said she was convinced Ferris was motivated by ‘‘misguided loyalty’’ to the antimandate campaign led by the church’s leader, Brian Tamaki.
Ferris was not so fortunate to escape conviction on an additional charge of dangerous driving – relating to an incident at which he drove at speed on a motorcycle through a central Wellington street at the time of the Parliament protest before crashing – for which he was disqualified from driving
for six months. Ferris had pleaded guilty on February 11 to two charges of organising a public gathering at Claudelands Park during the lockdown – attended by up to 3000 people – and two charges of failing to comply with Covid safety orders.
But it was a sentencing long delayed because he was badly injured in the February 17 crash.
Through his counsel Thomas Sutcliffe, he had applied to be discharged on all five charges. Sutcliffe said he took issue with a number of ‘‘claims and assertions’’ the police had made against his client in their submissions to the court.
Ferris himself was not an anti-vaxxer or anti-masks, Sutcliffe said, and had himself had one dose of the vaccine at the time of the protests.
His issue was with the effect the Government’s anti-Covid measures on the marginalised and vulnerable members of society. In an affidavit to the court, Ferris said he had reflected deeply on his actions and was very apologetic for his ‘‘misguided attempt to help those affected by the lockdown’’.
Ferris had been the Destiny pastor in Hamilton for 25 years, and had made many positive contributions to the community in that time.
Judge Saunders said that while his actions were premeditated, the gravity of the offences was ‘‘moderate to low’’.
A conviction would also affect his ability to travel to the United States and other places for work.
‘‘I do think it would be unfair to tarnish all Destiny Church ministers with the same brush as Mr Tamaki.’’
While he was not convicted on the Covid charges, Ferris will have to pay $750 to a charity of his choice.
In declining the discharge application on the dangerous driving charge, the judge noted that at the time of the crash Ferris had just been released from a threemonth suspension from driving, after accruing too many demerit points for speeding.
He was disqualified from driving for six months and fined $1002.