All six defendants prosecuted over the violent disruption of a drag storytime event have now pleaded guilty, while Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki says Australian authorities cancelled his visa and refused him entry to the country.
The last of six people facing charges over a violent protest at a children’s drag event in West Auckland has pleaded guilty, bringing the criminal proceedings a step closer to their conclusion.
The development comes during a turbulent week for Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki, who claims he was detained by Australian border officials, had his visa cancelled and was sent back to New Zealand.
Phineas Mann, 45, was due to stand trial at Auckland District Court on Tuesday 20 October on a charge of injuring with intent.
However, before a jury could be sworn in, Mann’s lawyer confirmed he would plead guilty to the lesser charge of male assaults female.
Five other defendants had already entered guilty pleas. According to 1News, five of the six are seeking discharges without conviction, with hearings scheduled for early 2027. The remaining defendant has been convicted and fined.
The charges stem from 15 February 2025, when protesters linked to Destiny Church and its Man Up movement stormed Te Atatū Community Centre during a children’s science show hosted by drag king Hugo Grrrl as part of Auckland Pride.
Around 30 children and adults were barricaded inside as the confrontation unfolded.
Police subsequently laid a range of assault charges against seven people, although the charge against a 19-year-old woman was later withdrawn.
At the time, Waitematā District Commander Superintendent Naila Hassan condemned the violence and intimidation experienced by people attending and working at the venue.
“There is a place for peaceful and lawful protest in this country, but this event crossed the line, and this investigation makes it very clear that this will not be tolerated,” she said.
The guilty pleas mark a significant development in a case that caused widespread concern across New Zealand’s rainbow communities.
Auckland Pride has acknowledged the lasting harm caused by the incident.
“The violence inflicted on Takatāpui and Rainbow communities at Te Atatū Peninsula Community Centre on 15 February 2025 was a painful reminder of the hostility our communities continue to face simply for existing as ourselves,” the organisation said.
“We recognise the harm experienced by those directly impacted, and the wider grief, anger, fear, and exhaustion carried by our communities in its aftermath.”
Auckland Pride also reaffirmed that nobody should face violence or intimidation because of who they are.
Brian Tamaki Claims Australia Cancelled His Visa
Brian Tamaki Claims Australia Cancelled His VisaMeanwhile, Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki says he was refused entry to Australia after travelling to Brisbane for a church conference.
In a video posted to social media on Thursday 22 October, Tamaki claimed Australian Border Force officials detained and questioned him for approximately 12 hours after he arrived on Tuesday.
He said his visa was subsequently cancelled and that he was held in immigration detention overnight before being returned to New Zealand.
Tamaki also claimed documents supplied by Australian authorities described his social media statements as “inflammatory and concerning”.
The reported incident follows Tamaki’s appearance at Manukau District Court on Monday 19 October, where he pleaded not guilty to three charges of inciting racial disharmony under the Human Rights Act.
The charges relate to alleged offending involving social media posts made in June, including comments concerning religious and ethnic communities.
Tamaki, 68, has been granted bail and is due to appear in court again on 25 January 2027.
Speaking after his court appearance, Tamaki argued that the prosecution raised serious questions about freedom of expression.
Following his reported detention in Australia, he went further, accusing New Zealand and Australian authorities of working together to silence him.
Tamaki claimed the two countries had “collaborated together to basically go after one person to silence them”.
Australian authorities had not publicly confirmed the circumstances of his reported visa cancellation at the time of writing. 1News said it had approached Australia’s Department of Home Affairs for comment.
The Australian immigration incident and Tamaki’s racial disharmony charges are separate matters from the Te Atatū prosecution. Tamaki was not among those charged over the disruption of the children’s drag show.
A spokesperson for the Freedoms & Rights Coalition, founded by Tamaki, previously told 1News that the coalition, rather than Destiny Church, had organised the Te Atatū protest.
With all six remaining defendants having pleaded guilty, the legal consequences of the February 2025 confrontation are now moving towards their final stages.
For those affected, however, Auckland Pride’s response is a reminder that the impact of the violence extends well beyond the courtroom.
