League ends with attack

"These sorts of disorder and loss of control inside a correctional facility can quickly get out of hand and see more people hurt." Judge Gerard Lynch

A man in jail for slashing a police officer’s face will be sitting in a cell a while longer, after viciously assaulting a fellow inmate during a rugby league game.

Rangi Potaka-alexander is serving six years and 11 months in jail for a range of violent offences, including wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

That incident involved arming himself with a carving knife, getting into a police car and trying to stab a police officer in the face.

The officer deflected the stab, but still suffered wounds to his hands and cheek.

Potaka-alexander was sentenced in the Palmerston North District Court on Tuesday to another nine months in jail for assault with intent to injure.

The assault happened in Manawatu Prison’s exercise yard on December 17, while a group of inmates were taking part in a rugby league exercise.

Potaka-alexander began to get angry with a teammate standing to the right of him.

He then removed his shoes before punching the teammate three times in the head, knocking him to the ground.

Potaka-alexander then used that opportunity to kick his victim in the head and face multiple times.

The victim told police he thought he was knocked out, as he could not remember the kicks.

He suffered a cut to the inside of his mouth, a black eye and bruising to the back of his head.

His head throbbed and he suffered headaches afterwards, the victim said.

Defence lawyer Marina Anderson said Potaka-alexander had been moved to Auckland Prison’s maximum security unit for at least a year and that would have hurt his chances at parole.

He had started one-on-one counselling sessions and come up with ways to manage situations that trigger his anger, she said.

Judge Gerard Lynch said Potaka-alexander had a history of violent offending.

A conviction for assaulting a prison officer showed jail had not seen that offending stop and he was at high risk of reoffending and harming others.

‘‘These sorts of disorder and loss of control inside a correctional facility can quickly get out of hand and see more people hurt.’’

Although Anderson argued Potaka-alexander should not have to serve more time for the assault, the judge thought otherwise.

Failing to impose more prison time sent the message that inmates could offend without consequence, he said.