Photo: suppliedA man who repeatedly punched a Queenstown woman in the head during an early morning fracas in the CBD has avoided a conviction. The 29-year-old Canterbury man successfully applied for a discharge without conviction, and permanent name suppression, at his sentencing in the Queenstown District Court this week. When the victim went to help her friend, the man grabbed her and pushed her against a glass window in Skyline Mall, which runs between Queenstown Mall and Cow Lane. He also held a governance role and having to disclose a conviction to the organisation’s board would potentially put it at risk. Therefore she was satisfied the consequences of a conviction would outweigh the seriousness of his offending, and a discharge without conviction was an appropriate response.

Source: Otago Daily Times January 28, 2026 20:17 UTC