Man admits punching driver, taking car
A man who punched a driver in the face and took his car in an incident in Edgeware has pleaded guilty after the original carjacking charge was dropped.
Kevin John Rewa, 54, was originally charged with robbing a man of a car and pleaded not guilty.
But at a pre-trial hearing in the Christchurch District Court, he was charged instead with unlawfully taking the car and assault with intent to injure. He admitted those charges, as well as possession of an offensive weapon – a knife – which was found in Rewa’s car when police caught him at Waiau next day.
The Edgeware incident took place on November 22, arising from Rewa’s claim that he was owed money.
When the victim arrived at his house with some associates he was dropping off, Rewa took his keys and punched him in the face through the driver’s window, causing a split lip and a bleeding nose.
When the victim got out of the car, Rewa drove off in the car and left it a few blocks away, undamaged. He told police where it was when he was interviewed next day.
Defence counsel Lee Lee Heah said Rewa had no address suitable for home detention and accepted that a prison term would be imposed. She acknowledged he had a criminal record, but because of his age and failing health he was unlikely to appear before the court for serious offending again.
Judge Raoul Neave said Rewa had previous convictions for assault, possession of an offensive weapon, injuring, and robbery. But his offending in recent time was less frequent and “less sinister”.
He increased the jail term for Rewa’s record but reduced it for his failing health and guilty pleas, and imposed a one-year jail term with a special post-release condition for him to undertake assessment, treatment, and counselling as directed by his probation officer.
Category: News
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