Jesse Ryder assault accused appear in court

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Two men charged with assaulting New Zealand cricketer Jesse Ryder were remanded on bail when they appeared in court today.

A 37-year-old man was charged with assault and a reckless disregard for Ryder’s safety, while his nephew aged 20 faced two charges of assault at Christchurch district court.

Both were granted name suppression at their lawyer’s request, though some New Zealand media outlets had previously named them. Police didn’t oppose the continuation of bail and Judge Gary MacAskill remanded them to April 18.

The men’s lawyer, Jonathan Eaton, said publication of the names or images of the men could jeopardize a fair trial.

He said witness accounts already published by the media were “wildly inaccurate and misleading” and his case would hinge on “who is alleged to have done what.”

Eaton said although police are not seeking anyone else in connection with the incident, their inquiries were continuing and the defense had not yet been able to study CCTV footage of the late-night incident outside a Christchurch bar.

He disputed media reports that Ryder suffered a fractured skull and a punctured lung in the assault and said Ryder had suffered concussion as result of falling to the ground after being punched once.