Conviction could silence pianist

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Domestic violence convictions may have brought the curtain down on the career of acclaimed Wellington pianist and composer Dan Poynton.

In the High Court at Wellington yesterday, his lawyer, Geoff Fulton, said Poynton's convictions for assault with intent to injure, attempting to pervert the course of justice and repeatedly breaching a protection order may have destroyed his music career.

Poynton, 44, has performed in Europe and Asia and Mr Fulton said the convictions were likely to limit his ability to work overseas again.

Poynton, who is also a journalist, last performed professionally on a six-city tour of China in 2006.

A judge has formally reserved his decision on Poynton's appeal against his sentence of 10 1/2 months' home detention, but has indicated that the sentence would at least be reduced to give Poynton credit for time spent in custody.

In January Poynton returned from 2 1/2 years working as a journalist in Cambodia.

Police say that, on January 29 at his Thorndon home, Poynton argued with a woman – 23 years his junior and a former music pupil – with whom he had been in a relationship.

She was pushed and shoved and at one point Poynton had his hands in the area of her throat, although it was not alleged that he had tried to strangle her.

Mr Fulton said Poynton thought the details of what had happened were important and he had asked the victim to give police another statement to avoid what Poynton saw as exaggerations in the police summary of events. The charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice followed.

Despite the disparity in the couple's ages, it had been a relationship of relative equals, Mr Fulton said.

Outside court Poynton told The Dominion Post that, when he was younger, he had been so busy practising that he had not experimented with drugs or alcohol as other young people did.

Later he did try drugs. "I had a go with everything."

He is due to graduate from a two-month addiction treatment programme this week and said he was enjoying being "clean" of all drugs, including coffee, for six months.

He spent three months in custody because of the charges and has ligament damage in one knee from being beaten up in prison.

"Anyone who thinks prison is easy ... well it's not. It's a school for criminals."

- © Fairfax NZ News