Actor says he was was defending family

A rising Kiwi acting star has appeared in court charged with assaulting someone outside his family’s home.

Pana Lawrence Hema-taylor, 26, starred in Boy, played dodgy mechanic Bert Thompson in TV3’S Westside, and will appear on Kiwi screens again in the new drama Dirty Laundry.

He appeared in the Auckland District Court on Tuesday charged with assault with intent to injure, after police amended an earlier charge of assault.

No plea was entered at the appearance, but in a statement issued by his lawyer, Ron Mansfield, Hema-taylor denied being guilty of assault and said he acted in a ‘‘reasonable manner’’ to protect his family.

He said the incident he is being charged over occurred ‘‘many months’’ ago outside his family’s address. Hema-taylor was inside when he heard cries for help, and went out to see female family members ‘‘involved in a physical altercation with some strangers’’.

‘‘I reacted to prevent my family members being assaulted and to break up the incident,’’ he said.

Hema-taylor said he acted in ‘‘what I believe to be a reasonable manner’’ but was ‘‘embroiled in an unwanted altercation’’.

‘‘I have assisted the police with their investigations and I am disappointed I have been charged.

‘‘I propose to defend that charge at this time and can only trust that the court will accept that my actions were required,’’ he said.