Judge keeps Sally Ridge, Adam Parore asset wrangle secret

Details of Adam Parore’s asset wrangle with Sally Ridge could remain secret if the former Black Caps cricketer wins his bid to get it dealt with in the Family Court.

Justice Pamela Andrews today ordered reporters out of proceedings at Auckland High Court where the former couple’s lawyers were discussing where proceedings should be held.

The pair’s nine-year relationship ended in 2010.

Ms Ridge has now applied to place a freezing order on Mr Parore’s assets.

But no progress has been made because Mr Parore wants the matter dealt with in the more private Family Court.

Ms Ridge’s lawyer Daniel Grove told Justice Andrews both parties wanted proceedings to be confidential.

According to Mr Grove, there is no public interest in the matter, other than the fact the pair have “some celebrity status."

Mr Grove said reference would be made to financial accounts for trusts and one of Mr Parore’s companies, which were “highly confidential” between the parties.

Justice Andrews then declared the proceedings to be in chambers and ordered reporters to leave.

If the matter is removed to the Family Court, limited coverage will apply. 

Justice Andrews also opposed an application by the Herald on Sunday to inspect court files relating to the proceedings.

When the matter was first before Auckland High Court  on March 5, Ms Ridge pleaded “urgent circumstances” when asking the court to set aside Mr Parore’s protest of jurisdiction, which is stalling the asset dispute.

But she wasn’t in court that day. Possibly because that was the same week she was guest editor for the Herald on Sunday’s gossip column ‘Spy’.

"Instead of attending the odd do for an hour or so, it’s been an exhausting round of event after event,” she penned for the March 11 column.

Her week in the job included a day at the Auckland Cup races, half of which was spent in Mad Butcher Sir Peter Leitch’s tent; and half in the Gucci lounge “indulging in ravioli with crayfish” and “sipping on Laurent-Perrier vintage champagne”.

She also marked the start of the Bluff oyster season at Soul Bar’s ‘all you can eat oyster day’.

Her highlight was the Degas to Dali exhibition at the Auckland Art Gallery with Auckland’s best and brightest.

“I don’t even know whether I’m cut out for the life of a social columnist,” the reluctant editor wrote.

But she rounded off with:

“Maybe Giltraps knew I was Spy editor this week – the email that arrived letting me know I could get a new Aston Martin for a snip under $200k was a laugh. Maybe I’ll get two.”

Ms Ridge and Mr Parore’s joint venture sports clothing company James & August was placed into liquidation in 2010.