Sex worker awarded $10K after messy battle with jilted client

fortunateone · February 27, 2015

Why we like NZ, example number 32

http://m.tvnz.co.nz/news/national/6243763

A man has been ordered to pay $10,000 to a sex worker today following a messy legal battle where a judge says he tried to "victimise and harass" the woman using legal procedures.

The sex worker, named Ms M in court documents, ended her two month sexual arrangement with Mr N in 2012.

Mr N was unhappy at the termination, forcing Ms M to take out a restraining order against him.

Granted the five year restraining order, Mr N responded with his own civil case, prompting a lengthy legal battle.

Alleging breaches of contract, defamation, privacy and confidence among other things, Mr N's case was thrown out and Ms M was awarded costs.

Soon after, Mr N launched a contempt case against her and her lawyers in respect of their alleged conduct in the harassment proceeding and civil proceeding.

This contempt proceeding was struck out as an abuse of process and Mr N's appeal to this was dismissed.

Today, Mr N was ordered to pay Ms M $10,000 and her lawyers a total of $7,500.

Auckland District Court judge Brooke Gibson says " there is something more at issue here than wounded egos, rather a more sinister use of the Court's processes for the further harassment of Ms M through the use of legal procedures"

Woodhouse J says the contempt proceeding was "a further attempt to victimise and harass Ms M through litigation".