Veitch's wife: 'We'll fight to bitter end'

Tony Veitch's wife Zoe says the couple expect he will be charged tomorrow with assaults on his former girlfriend - but she says they will "fight to the bitter end" to clear his name.

Speaking publicly for the first time since the July press conference at which Veitch admitted to having "lashed out" at his former partner Kristin Dunne-Powell in a "terrible incident", Zoe Veitch said she understood Dunne-Powell had made other allegations of assault against the star broadcaster.

"All we can think of is that once the truth is out there and all the facts are on the table, justice will have to prevail. If it's the truth and if we are given a fair go, which we deserve to have, it will be fine.

"From what we understand in regard to the police investigation, ex-girlfriends and friends have all been contacted and potentially they are investigating other things, which is just ludicrous."

She said seven police went through the couple's Herne Bay home on Friday and seized their computer and Tony's cellphone. TV3 and frontman John Campbell turned up while police were searching in the house, she said, and her belief that police had leaked the information "makes me feel ill".

"These are the people who are supposed to be protecting us and dare I say they might have a hidden agenda."

Veitch had not yet been interviewed and their first contact with police was a message left on their answerphone on Thursday night asking to make an appointment. She said the tape had picked up an aside by the officer in response to the "jovial" greeting on the answerphone.

"The detective said 'I bet he hasn't got a smile on his face like that any more'," said Zoe. "I wanted to vomit. It made me feel as if there was unprofessionalism and bias."

In the five weeks since the Dominion Post newspaper published details of the 2006 assault and a subsequent $155,000 compensation payout by Veitch, a succession of claims and counter-claims have emerged from the Veitch and Dunne- Powell camps, fuelling intense media interest.

Zoe Veitch said public reaction to the case had "blown my mind". Her husband, 34, resigned from his sports presenter jobs at Television New Zealand and the Radio Network after the story broke.

Zoe Veitch would not comment on what Veitch had told her of the incident, in which it has been reported that he kicked Dunne-Powell in the back. The Sunday Star-Times has been told medical reports suggest two vertebrae were damaged in the attack but that the crack to a third vertebra was an old injury.

- © Fairfax NZ News