News

Tuffey fined for serious misconduct

Daryl Tuffey has been fined NZ$1000 after he admitted to allegations of serious misconduct by New Zealand Cricket (NZC)

Cricinfo staff
15-Mar-2005


Daryl Tuffey admitted to the charge of serious misconduct © Afp
Daryl Tuffey has been fined NZ$1000 after he admitted to a charge of serious misconduct by New Zealand Cricket (NZC). A misconduct inquiry was initiated by NZC after reports arose of an intimate video clip involving Tuffey and a Christchurch woman. He admitted to the event, and said that he had deleted the video, which was filmed by two English tourists.
Hugh Rennie, who conducted the inquiry, said in a statement that Tuffey was repentant at the matter and that his admission of guilt was made "immediately and voluntarily". According to the report, what made a private matter public was the existence of the recording. "Mr Tuffey accepts that the existence of this recording takes his conduct outside his private rights in respect of his off-field conduct".
Keeping in mind Tuffey's frankness, the scale of his misdemeanour and the action he took of deleting the recording well before the inquiry had been initiated, Rennie said, "I have considered whether, on the face of facts of this case, termination [of the contract] should be imposed. Taking into account all the matters I have summarised above, I am certain that it should not be imposed and so I find. I have considered whether a warning and councelling may be sufficient. The finding itself may be a warning..."
Rennie understood that the publicity this case had received brought its own set of tribulations, but considered that "a financial penalty is the only effective way of condemning the serious misconduct which has been admitted", and directed Tuffey to pay the amount to NZC.
The film segment at the hub of the inquiry was reported to last between 20 to 30 seconds, according to the findings, and was "associated with other video material of a similar nature, which did not involve Mr Tuffey..." The two British men who had filmed Tuffey showed the video clip to numerous people, one of whom protested and asked them to delete it immediately. This was not done, for when Tuffey met them soon after, he was shown the clip, which he deleted.
Rennie accepted Tuffey's version of events, including his statement that while the encounter with the woman was of a sexual nature, it did not involve sexual intercourse. Tuffey said he had no prior knowledge that a video would be made. Rennie stated, "He first became aware of this while the clip was being made." What made matters worse for Tuffey, besides becoming involved in the first place, was that he did not take immediate action to have the recording destroyed, according to the report.