Summarised by Centrist
Newly released police documents show former Justice Minister Kiri Allan verbally abused officers, physically resisted arrest, and called her prosecution a “political stunt” after crashing her car in July 2023 while over the drink-drive limit.
Despite the behaviour described in the documents, then Prime Minister Chris Hipkins did not sack Allan. She was allowed to resign her ministerial portfolios the next day and later quietly exited politics.
According to the summary, Allan yelled at officers, refused to accompany them for a breath test, clung to shrubbery to avoid being moved to a police car, and demanded to speak to top brass at Police National Headquarters. At Wellington Central, she refused to accept her court summons, insisting she “wrote the law” and would not leave until the charges “disappeared.”
Police were reluctant to release details of Allan’s conduct until the Herald escalated the matter to the Ombudsman. Officials eventually agreed to publish a summary of her behaviour, citing public interest.
Allan was fined for drink driving, but her breath test reading did not exceed the criminal threshold. She was convicted of refusing to accompany police.
Editor’s note: The new revelations come amid criticism of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon for not saying he would have sacked Andrew Bayly over recent allegations of misconduct. In contrast, Hipkins faced little scrutiny for allowing Allan to resign on her own terms, despite police accounts of erratic and abusive behaviour.
