Former rich lister convicted of drink-driving loses name suppression bid

News
Crime

Author: Shannon Pitman,
Publish Date: Mon, 17 Aug 2026, 1:41pm

John Butterfield (inset) once hired a crane to retrieve his belongings from his Christchurch penthouse apartment, pictured. Photos / NZME

Five years after being pulled over for drink-driving, a wealthy, prominent property developer has lost his bid to keep his name permanently suppressed.

John Butterfield has been behind some of Christchurch’s biggest developments, including the $46 million sale of South City Shopping Centre, and once had a reported net worth of $75m.

On the evening of Christmas Day 2021, the former rich lister was driving towards a police alcohol checkpoint.

Before reaching the checkpoint, he made a U-turn and was followed by a police unit that pulled him over.

A roadside breath screening test by Butterfield returned a non-evidential reading of 762mcg of alcohol per litre of breath, more than three times the legal limit of 250mcg.

Police then directed him to accompany them back to the checkpoint for further evidential breath or blood testing.

According to police evidence, Butterfield became agitated and attempted to drink from a bottle in his vehicle.

The officer removed the bottle and threw it aside, then Butterfield was pushed against the car and handcuffed.

He was transported back to the checkpoint, where the handcuffs were removed. After receiving legal advice, Butterfield declined evidential breath or blood testing.

His forearms were left cut and bruised.

Butterfield was charged with driving with excess breath alcohol and unsuccessfully challenged the admissibility of evidence before eventually pleading guilty.

He was disqualified from driving for six months by Judge Tony Zorab at the Christchurch District Court and denied permanent name suppression.

Butterfield unsuccessfully appealed his conviction and the refusal to grant permanent name suppression to the High Court and Court of Appeal, then took his case to the Supreme Court.

In a recently released decision, the Supreme Court found no court had erred in its findings and no miscarriage of justice had occurred.

The court agreed publication of his name would not amount to extreme hardship and declined permanent name suppression.

Butterfield was denied any further leaves to appeal and his name suppression formally lapsed on August 14.

Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei-based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked in digital media for the past five years. She joined NZME in 2023.