THE HIGH COURT OF NEW ZEALAND
TE KŌTI MATUA O AOTEAROA

18 July 2018

MEDIA RELEASE – FOR PUBLICATION AT 2.00 PM ON THURSDAY 19 JULY 2018

Wilson v R [2018] NZHC 1778

Press summary

This summary is provided to assist in the understanding of the Court’s judgment. It does not comprise part of the reasons for that judgment. The full judgment with reasons is the only authoritative document. The full text of the judgment and reasons can be found at www.courtsofnz.govt.nz.

The identity of a doctor who earlier this year pleaded guilty to eight charges of making an intimate visual recording can now be made public after the High Court upheld the District Court’s decision declining him name suppression.

Doctor Wilson was formerly a cardiologist at Nelson Hospital. He is no longer working as a doctor. Dr Wilson’s offending came to light when it was discovered he Wilson had placed a miniature recording device in a female changing room/toilet at Nelson Hospital and in a bathroom at his former home and covertly filmed women using those facilities. Dr Wilson was sentenced to seven months’ home detention for offences under s 216H of the Crimes Act 1961.

Justice Collins dismissed each of the five grounds of appeal advanced on behalf of Dr Wilson. While accepting that naming the doctor would inevitably cause distress for his family, this fell well short of the threshold of extreme hardship set out in s 200(2)(a) of the Act.

Justice Collins also found a discretionary factor which weighed heavily against the continued suppression of Dr Wilson’s name wasthatto dosowould unfairly casta cloud of suspicion over many “Nelson health professionals”.

The names, addresses and occupations of the victims are suppressed.

Judgment: Wilson v R NZHC 1778

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