Privileged treatment

Stuff reports:

The Maori King’s son has succeeded in his bid to avoid drink-driving and theft convictions after his lawyer argued it was likely to bar his succession to the throne.

Korotangi Paki, 19, appeared in the Auckland District Court this afternoon charged with drink driving, two counts of burglary and one of theft.

Judge Philippa Cunningham discharged Paki without conviction on all charges but imposed a special condition that he provide the court evidence he did not have an alcohol problem or if he did, that he had addressed it with counselling. …

The burglaries and theft happened in March while he was on bail and the judge noted it had also occurred after a night of drinking.

So he was already on bail, and kept on offending.

The trio was ordered to each pay prosecution costs of $400 and were discharged without conviction.

Paki also applied for a discharge without conviction today.

His lawyer Paul Wicks QC told the court a conviction would impede his ability to accede to the throne.

Potential successors had to have an unblemished record because of the custodial responsibilities involved as King.

“The chiefs around the country are often heard to say [heirs to the throne] have to be ‘whiter than the dove’,” Wicks said.

Well he isn’t, regardless of the discharge.

I don’t care that he is the son of the Maori King. If he was the son of the English King, and got off on the same basis, I’d be equally disapproving.