Lawyer change creates delay in trial of Perez on assault charge

The trial for Taranaki rugby player Paul Perez has been postponed for two months.

Perez, 23, was to have a defended hearing in the New Plymouth District Court yesterday after pleading not guilty to the assault of New Plymouth club bouncer last year.

But the court has been told that Perez has now changed lawyers, from Turitea Bolstad to Liana Poutu, and the judge-only trial has now been put back to May 24. Whether Perez will still be in the country for the hearing is not known. Perez, a Tongan, was served with a removal order by Immigration NZ in December.

The order was made after his work permit was revoked when a jury found him guilty of two charges of assaulting his former partner and one of wilful damage when he destroyed her clothes and other property after they broke up.

Ms Poutu, of Wellington-based firm Kahui Legal, was unable to be reached yesterday to answer questions as to whether Perez might be forced to leave the country before May.

- © Fairfax NZ News