Guilty plea in Ryder assault case

One of the two men accused of attacking Jesse Ryder outside a Christchurch bar in March has pleaded guilty to assault. At an appearance at the Christchurch District Court on Tuesday, the 20-year-old man, whose name has been suppressed, admitted to the assault but disputed some of the alleged details of the incident, according to Fairfax NZ News.

Judge John MacDonald noted that the man admitted that he had kicked Ryder in the shoulder but believed a punch that he threw did not connect with Ryder. The man has been remanded until June 5, when a date for a hearing regarding the disputed aspects of the case will be set.

The man's 37-year-old uncle, who has been charged with injuring with reckless disregard for safety and assault, has chosen to go to trial. Jonathan Eaton, the lawyer for the 37-year-old, said the alleged attack occurred after the men had shared drinks with Ryder, who then left Aikmans Bar in Merivale, a suburb of Christchurch, without repaying a round of drinks.

Ryder was in an induced coma after the incident on March 27 but was discharged from hospital a week later.