Brierley gives up knighthood

Ron Brierley, the New Zealand businessman who last month pleaded guilty in a Sydney, Australia, court to charges of possessing child abuse material, has resigned his knighthood.

‘‘Ron Brierley has written to the Clerk of the Executive Council to tender his resignation as a Knight Bachelor. The Queen has been informed,’’ a statement from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s office said.

‘‘The forfeiture follows the prime minister initiating the process to remove his knighthood.’’

The resignation comes after Ardern announced at the beginning of April that she would begin proceedings to strip him of the title.

‘‘We instigated a process. In notifying him of that process he has resigned the title ... I’m very clear that had he not done so, it would have been removed,’’ Ardern said yesterday.

‘‘I think it’s a sad day for the children of New Zealand and indeed the world when someone is found guilty of possessing such horrendous images.’’

The Wellington-raised businessman pleaded guilty to three out of 17 charges last month. The rest were withdrawn.

Brierley, 83, was detained by Australian Border Force officials while attempting to board a flight to Fiji in December 2019. Detectives seized carry-on bags, a laptop and electronic-storage units and allegedly discovered more than 200,000 images and 512 videos.

Brierley Investments was once New Zealand’s biggest listed company. It is estimated one in every 20 Kiwis owned shares in the corporate raider, and it made Brierley very rich, with a wealth consistently estimated at well over $100 million.

He was knighted in 1988. Professional director Rob Campbell, who oversaw the return of capital to shareholders from Brierley’s company Guinness Peat Group, said: ‘‘It’s hard to feel anything other than contempt for the actions to which Ron Brierley has pleaded guilty. That, and sorrow for the damage which must have been inflicted on the children involved.’’