district court logo

Robson v Barker [2019] NZFC 280

Published 14 June 2021

Parenting order — supervised contact — alcohol issues — safety of child — Care of Children Act 2004, ss 4, 6. The Judge had to determine whether a 10 year old boy was safe having unsupervised contact with his father. Prior to July 2018 there had been fortnightly weekend contact, however in June 2018 the father was arrested while intoxicated when the boy was in his care. This led to concerns about the child's safety and the Court ordered contact to be supervised. The father now wanted to return to unsupervised contact. The Judge declined the application. The father minimised his drinking and poor behaviour, making the Judge concerned he did not understand the importance of being sober when caring for his child. Contact was to be supervised by the father's mother and he was to continue engaging with CADS (Community Alcohol and other Drug Service). Judgment Date: 18 January 2019. * * * Note: names have been changed to comply with legal requirements. * * *