Injury ‘not from Ryder hate crime’

The lawyer for a man charged with assaulting and injuring Jesse Ryder says the cricketer’s head injury arose from a punch and a fall, and was not a ‘‘Jesse hate crime’’.

Jonathan Eaton made his comment in the Christchurch District Court yesterday as the uncle and nephew charged over the incident in Merivale early last Thursday made their first court appearance.

He was critical of media coverage of the incident, including alleged witness accounts that had proved to be ‘‘wildly inaccurate’’.

Fairfax Media was criticised for publishing the men’s names before their initial court appearance, where interim suppression would have been considered.

Judge Gary MacAskill granted interim suppression while police inquiries were continuing and identification issues were still being investigated.

The 37-year-old uncle faces a charge of injuring Ryder with reckless disregard for Ryder’s safety, and a joint charge of assaulting him. His nephew, 20, of Christchurch, is charged with assaulting Ryder, as well as the joint charge of assault.