Name Supression

The Dom Post reports:

A fading pop star who admitted punching a Wellington City Council worker in a drunken scuffle on Courtenay Place has won a fight to keep her name secret after paying $300 and apologising.

The 26-year-old has also escaped conviction after being granted diversion …

She has previously recorded a hit single but has since struggled to make inroads into the industry.

Court documents show she was drinking on December 14 and was involved in a Courtenay Place confrontation about 4am.

Though a court attendant told The Dominion Post the case had been withdrawn and would not be called, her lawyer successfully sought permanent name suppression. Police consented.

Why on earth should she get name suppression? I have no problems with diversion. I’ve had it myself. But what on earth is the rationale for granting name suppression? Is she going to be massively harmed by people knowing she had a drunken scuffle? Justice should be open, not secret.