Dermody maintained he had said "that's ridiculous" to someone he did not know at another table, albeit in an aggressive manner. Councillor Steve Broad said he had been sitting no more than 2.5 - 3 metres away from Dermody on the day and had also heard "that's ridiculous" in a frustrated tone. Bond's evidence included that Dermody had said "bull…t" and "that's ridiculous" during the presentation and later aimed "you're a d…head" at the staffer. When Garbett asked Dermody if he had called the staffer a "d…head", the deputy mayor responded: "I never said d…head". Dermody maintained he had said "that's ridiculous" in an aggressive tone, but not loudly, when someone at a nearby indicated Franklin was in Southland.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 31, 2026 05:24 UTC