Christchurch councillor Jamie Gough has apologised for another drunken incident and says he will seek professional help.
Jamie Gough Photo: FACEBOOK
Mr Gough, who represents the Fendalton-Waimairi Ward, took to social media to apologise for his drunken behaviour at an upmarket city bar in Merivale on Waitangi Day.
The apology came after another bar-goer, Sam Emerson, called out his behaviour in a Facebook post on the councillor's page, which has since been deleted.
"Hey mate, you were absolutely disgusting at Aikmans last night. Your attitude to the girls in my group was foul and incredibly sexist. Clean your act up.''
In a statement posted on his page this morning, Mr Gough said as a councillor there was an expectation of a certain standard of behaviour at all times and he had fallen short.
"With the support of my family, I have made the decision to get professional help as there is a problem and it is time to deal with it properly.
"I am really sorry for the hurt I have caused those closest to me and for any offence I have caused anyone. I am respectfully asking that I be given the privacy to deal with this with professional help and out of the spotlight."
It is not the first time Mr Gough's drinking has come under scrutiny. In June 2015, he was kicked out of a cancer charity ball at the Wigram Airforce Museum.
He stood down as the chairperson of the event management company that organised the fundraiser while the incident was reviewed. The company's board decided Mr Gough should not resume the role but could remain as a director, however Mr Gough chose to resign from the board.
In August 2014, Mr Gough blamed mixing alcohol with antibiotics for a night out that led to a taxi driving him to the central city police station after he realised he did not have his wallet with him.
Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel read out a short statement today but refused to take questions on the matter.
She said Mr Gough has signed the council's code of conduct, just like every other councillor.
"He is no longer chairing any council committees, and by his own admission acknowledges that as a councillor there is an expectation of a standard of behaviour at all times, and he says he has fallen well short of that."
Mr Gough is a member of one of the city's richest families, which built its wealth through Gough, Gough & Hamer Limited, and is the nephew of developer Antony Gough, who has invested millions into The Terrace Project in Christchurch's CBD.
