August 12, 2011

Teen admits assault on 67-year-old

By David Clarkson at Nga Hau e Wha marae

An 18-year-old farmworker has been sentenced to 80 hours of community work for what the judge said was ?a rather nasty assault? on a 67-year-old man in Queenstown.

Harrison William Black pleaded guilty at the Nga Hau e Wha marae in Christchurch today after the police agreed to reduce the charge to assault.

He had been originally charged with intentionally injuring the man in the incident on March 25.

Defence counsel Kerry Cook said Black was ?genuinely apologetic? for his behaviour and accepted that he had overreacted to slight provocation.

Black was employed as a farmworker at the time of the assault but is now on a benefit and is planning to move to Dunedin.

The victim was spending the night with his wife in their caravan at the Kingston Tavern carpark when Black left the tavern after drinking there for up to six hours.

As Black left the carpark, a local driver who was giving him a ride did?a series of ?donuts? which sprayed the caravan with gravel. The vehicle then came back and did more ?donuts?.

The victim went up to the vehicle, opened the door, and tried to grab Black but the vehicle sped off.

After being dropped off, Black and his associate walked back to ?sort the victim out?.

Black punched the man in the head and face, telling him, ?You want to be tough. I?ll show you tough.?

He continued to punch the man when he fell to the ground. Black?s associate pulled him away from the victim and they walked to their accommodation.

The man received cuts and bruises to his head, cheek, and mouth, and bleeding and bruising to his left eye, abrasions on his back, and swelling to his knee. The attack aggravated earlier hip surgery and he could not wear his dentures because his mouth was swollen.

Black told police he stopped the attack when he realised how old the victim was.

Christchurch District Court Judge Colin Doherty imposed the community work sentence. He said it had been a ?rather nasty assault? and ordered Black to pay $500 to the victim as emotional harm reparations, at a rate of $20 a week. He will also have to pay his $65 medical expenses.