PHOTO: John Butterfield. STUFF
Prominent Christchurch property developer John Butterfield can now be named after losing a lengthy legal battle to keep his identity permanently suppressed following a drink-driving conviction.
Butterfield, who has been associated with some significant Christchurch property developments and was once reported to have a net worth of around $75 million, pursued the name suppression issue through multiple levels of New Zealand’s court system.
But his legal avenues have now run out.
The Supreme Court declined to grant permanent name suppression, finding that the lower courts had not erred and that publication of Butterfield’s identity would not cause the level of extreme hardship required.
His name suppression formally expired on 14 August 2026.
Who Is Christchurch Property Developer John Butterfield?
Butterfield has been a prominent figure in Christchurch property circles for many years.
Among the major transactions associated with him was the $46 million sale of South City Shopping Centre.
He has also previously attracted media attention over a dispute involving his Christchurch penthouse, when a crane was reportedly used to retrieve belongings from the apartment.
But it is an incident dating back to Christmas Day 2021 that ultimately resulted in Butterfield’s name becoming public following years of legal proceedings.
Christmas Day Police Stop
According to the court evidence reported by the NZ Herald, Butterfield was driving towards a police alcohol checkpoint on Christmas Day 2021 when he made a U-turn before reaching it.
Police followed the vehicle and pulled him over.
A roadside breath screening test returned a non-evidential reading of 762 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath.
For comparison, the legal adult limit is 250mcg per litre of breath.
Police subsequently directed Butterfield to accompany officers back to the checkpoint so further evidential breath or blood testing could take place.
Confrontation With Police
According to the police evidence, the situation then became more difficult.
Butterfield was said to have become agitated and attempted to drink from a bottle inside his vehicle.
An officer removed the bottle and threw it aside.
Butterfield was then pushed against the vehicle and placed in handcuffs before being transported back to the checkpoint.
The handcuffs were later removed.
After receiving legal advice, Butterfield declined evidential breath or blood testing.
The incident reportedly left cuts and bruising on his forearms.
Butterfield Challenged the Evidence
Butterfield was subsequently charged with driving with excess breath alcohol.
He challenged the admissibility of evidence in the case but was unsuccessful.
He eventually pleaded guilty.
At the Christchurch District Court, Judge Tony Zorab disqualified Butterfield from driving for six months.
The judge also refused his application for permanent name suppression.
That decision began an extensive series of appeals.
Fight to Keep His Name Secret Reached Supreme Court
Butterfield challenged both his conviction and the refusal to permanently suppress his name.
His case proceeded through the High Court and Court of Appeal, without success.
He ultimately took the matter to New Zealand’s Supreme Court.
But the country’s highest court did not accept that the previous courts had made an error warranting intervention.
In its recently released decision, the Supreme Court found there had been no miscarriage of justice.
Importantly, the court also agreed that publication of Butterfield’s identity would not result in the extreme hardship necessary to justify permanent name suppression.
Further leave to appeal was declined.
That meant the suppression order protecting Butterfield’s identity finally came to an end on 14 August.
Why Name Suppression Mattered
The case provides another interesting example of the high threshold that can apply when someone seeks permanent name suppression in New Zealand.
For prominent businesspeople and public figures, publication of a criminal conviction can clearly have significant reputational consequences.
But reputational damage alone does not automatically justify permanent suppression.
In Butterfield’s case, despite his profile within Christchurch’s business and property community, the courts ultimately determined that the legal threshold for permanently concealing his identity had not been met.
A Well-Known Name in Christchurch Property
The lifting of name suppression means the businessman at the centre of the long-running case can finally be publicly identified.
John Butterfield – property developer, former rich-lister and a man associated with some significant Christchurch property deals – has exhausted his attempts to prevent publication of his name.
What began with a police stop on Christmas Day 2021 ultimately travelled all the way to New Zealand’s highest court.
Nearly five years later, the legal battle over his identity is over.