A police officer involved in a car chase on Wellington's waterfront has lost his bid for name suppression.
Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
Detective Sergeant Richard Gibson admitted a dangerous driving charge after the incident in April last year.
Bystanders leapt out of the path of the police car and the vehicle Mr Gibson was following, when they drove off the street and onto the waterfront.
Judge Stephen Harrop said the chase created danger, but it had to be assessed in the context of the officer's job.
He discharged Mr Gibson without conviction, saying the gravity of his offence was small.
The man he chased was later jailed on theft charges.
Judge Harrop said the fact the offending was minor meant the consequences of name publication would be minor.
He said the publication of his name did not meet the legal requirement of causing extreme hardship.
Mr Gibson's lawyer argued name publication could jeopardise a continuing investigation he was involved in, but Judge Harrop rejected that.
