Govt staffer’s court side exit ‘not unusual’
A convicted Government employee is one of ‘‘hundreds’’ who have let out of court through side exits after their hearings, police say.
Jeremy Buis was sentenced in the Dunedin District Court on April 21 on charges of criminal harassment, threatening to do grievous bodily harm and intentional damage.
Judge Paul Kellar lifted his name suppression, but suppressed details of his occupation.
The 39-year-old did not appear outside court after his sentencing. Waiting media were later told he was allowed out through a side entrance.
Police said Buis was allowed out through an alternative exit to ‘‘avoid a conflict with the victim’s family who were present at the public exit at that point’’.
It followed a request from Buis’ legal representative, Anne Stevens, who said the move was ‘‘sensible’’.
Police released emails about the incident under the Official Information Act, which revealed there was no criteria for who they let out through side doors.
In Buis’ case, it was because the judge declined media requests to photograph him in the dock and ‘‘media were waiting outside the front of the courthouse’’, an email from an officer involved said.
The officer said he had let ‘‘hundreds’’ of people out of the courthouse through alternative exits during his more than 10 years of working as a police escort. Others given the same treatment included ’’victims, offenders, prisoners released from cell’’.
Requests came from police officers, court staff, security staff and Corrections officers, he said.
Police response and operations national manager Superintendent Chris Scahill said officers made ‘‘these sorts of assessments on a case by case basis every day’’.
The assessments considered the rights and needs of victims, risks to public and staff safety, and other relevant information available at the time, he said.
A Ministry of Justice spokesman said they were not aware a defendant had been escorted from the courthouse through a side door.
‘‘Our standard process is defendants are to use the front entrance unless otherwise directed.’’
Criminal Bar Association president Len Anderson said he had ‘‘no concerns’’ with some defendants being let out through side doors, including rival gang members, people not willing to leave court, or those who ‘‘don’t want to face the victim’’.
University of Otago dean of law Professor Mark Henaghan said court was a public arena and there ‘‘is a sense of public accountability’’.
While there may be special circumstances allowing a person to use an alternative exit, it appeared Buis received ‘‘favourable treatment’’.
Buis’ employer declined to say whether he remained employed.