Three brothers have escaped conviction after an alcohol fuelled fight outside the Pōneke clubrooms in 2020. Photo: Kevin Stent / STUFF
Three brothers who had been charged with assaulting a rugby player after a brawl outside Pōneke's Kilbirnie clubrooms have all escaped conviction.
The three men now have permanent name suppression.
The fight, in July 2020, left a Pōneke player with serious injuries and prevented him from playing rugby.
On Friday, the last of the three had his case dealt with by Wellington District Court judge Bruce Davidson who discharged him without conviction on a charge of injuring with reckless disregard, and ordered him to pay emotional harm reparation of $600.
The judge had made the discharge conditional on the man doing 60 hours community work and saving the money for reparation.
The man and his brothers had been at a function at the clubrooms where two groups got into an argument inside.
Outside the rooms he had hit the victim from behind and then punched him unconscious.
The victim had concussion-like symptoms, had to have dental repairs and was upset and distressed.
One brother - who faced a charge of common assault - was also discharged without conviction to preserve his prospective sporting career while the third brother had a charge dismissed.
The judge said it was an alcohol-fuelled altercation between the two groups.