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Mike's Minute: Uffindell saga a total mess

Author
Mike Hosking,
Publish Date
Wed, 10 Aug 2022, 9:41AM

Mike's Minute: Uffindell saga a total mess

Author
Mike Hosking,
Publish Date
Wed, 10 Aug 2022, 9:41AM

Despite Sam Uffindell's denials on this show yesterday that there was nothing else to disclose, turns out, at least in some people's minds, there is something else to disclose.

But exactly what is the key and how out of control this gets is another major part of the equation.  

The claim is that in a flat in 2003 he was a bully and he was verbally aggressive towards a female flatmate. Uffindell is now stood down as the obligatory QC is called in to investigate.

So, what is a bully? What is verbally aggressive? And how, given it happened, allegedly, he denies it by the way, 20 years ago, does anyone really get to the bottom of it? And even if they come close, what is the fallout? What is the penalty?

This is a mess. But then it was always going to be a mess, because this is who we are, sadly. Despite all the highfalutin talk about forgive and forget, rehabilitation, youthful indiscretion, moving on, and growing up, we don't actually want that, we want revenge. At least it appears these two who have made the allegations do.

Attacking someone as Uffindell admitted to as a 16-year-old isn't on, no one says it is.

But going to the media to complain is not about putting it right, it's about revenge.

Accusing the same person of banging on your door and yelling obscenities takes the case into the area of farce as well as petty revenge.

In this day and age, we must all tread ever so carefully in case we offend someone.

Banging on doors and yelling obscenities isn't dignified. But if that is now the hurdle you need to pass to enter public life, anyone who went to university and had too much to drink is never going to ever apply for anything.

What else can these complainants want? Other than the destruction of a public figure?

And why do they get to make the allegations while under the safety of anonymity?  

All these years later, are you seriously telling me it only became an issue worth speaking out on now? Why? Revenge is a powerful driver of emotion.

None of this paints the young Uffindell in a good light. He's copped that and said sorry. How many of us, with a similar light, might have one or two stories we aren't proud of?

This is a pile on. Chris Luxon is between a rock and a hard place. You have to investigate, what else can you do? And where does it stop?

If banging on the door and yelling is cause for a QC, how many other stories of doors are out there?

If behaviour is the critical component here, look at Uffindell all you want, but what about the behaviour and motive of those that look to destroy a person all these years later?

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