Kick-boxing champion facing charges named

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Six-times Thai kick-boxing world champion Jason Suttie has failed in a bid to keep his name suppressed on aggravated robbery and blackmail charges.

Suttie, who held the world title from 1996 to 2001, was initially granted name suppression despite police opposition.

Last week in the High Court at Auckland, Justice Rebecca Ellis reversed the order, allowing Suttie, who faces High Court trial in August, to be named.

Suttie's lawyers maintained that naming his client would do "irreparable damage" to his reputation and business affairs.

There would also be harm in relation to a television advertising campaign for a new energy drink in which Suttie featured.

Further, Suttie's counsel his client should not be named because of the presumption of innocence.

Justice Ellis said had Suttie maintained in his affidavit his Thai kick-box gym had been operating for 10 years and was the best known in Auckland. He worked as a professional Thai boxing coach and most of his income came from gym clients.

Justice Ellis accepted that some potential clients might not use his gym because of the charges he was facing but she said there was nothing in the allegations that reflected on his ability to run his gym or coach Thai kick-boxing.

Furthermore, people were well aware of the concept of innocent until proven guilty.

She said that the factors in favour of continuing name suppression were "not particularly compelling" and were insufficient to outweigh the presumption of open justice.

- NZPA