Threats to kneecap teen

A teenager is afraid to go out on his own, after a man threatened to shoot out his kneecaps with a pistol during a daylight robbery.

He has also become aggressive, withdrawn and stressed, all because of what Peyote Kimura did to him.

Kimura, 22, was sentenced in the Palmerston North District Court on Tuesday to 25 months’ jail for aggravated robbery.

The teen was confronted by Kimura on the afternoon of January 24 while walking across The Square, Palmerston North.

Kimura, wearing a bandanna over his face, initially asked the teen if he wanted to buy drugs, before asking for his number and showing he had a pistol in his backpack.

He said he had fired the gun, using it recently to shoot a man in the legs because he lied, then asked for the teen’s money and Samsung Galaxy cellphone.

The teen handed the items over, with his eftpos card in his phone wallet, but refused to give the pin code for the phone.

He quickly changed his mind, though, when Kimura threatened to shoot him in the kneecaps.

Kimura threw the teen’s eftpos card on the ground and gave him $5 so he could catch the bus. Kimura walked the teen on to the bus, told him he was a gang member and left once he was seated.

Passengers saw what happened and called police, and the teen begged the driver to lock the door once Kimura was off.

Kimura told police he had simply asked for the phone and money, claiming they were handed over willingly.

Defence lawyer Mark Alderdice said Kimura’s father looked after a cemetery at a marae, meaning Kimura, who is of Nga¯ti Raukawa, knew a lot about the concepts of tikanga and manaakitanga. He knew his behaviour did not match those values, Alderdice said.

Crown prosecutor Sian Poulton said Kimura had a long history of offending, with the latest crime showing an escalation in seriousness.

Judge Lance Rowe said Kimura was on ‘‘something of a cycle’’, dependent on drugs and having trouble engaging with those trying to help him.

But he understood the values of his iwi, the judge said. ‘‘You understand your offending is not part of the kaupapa of where you are from. You feel a sense of shame about what happened.’’

Kimura was also given a first strike warning for violent offenders.