Teen avoids prison
A teenager has avoided jail for his role in a violent home invasion and three assaults.
Joshua Gunn, 19, has sought counselling, got a job and turned his life around since a series of offences last year, leading a judge to decide his best chance of rehabilitation was to stay out of prison. Instead, in the Palmerston North District Court on Wednesday, he was sentenced to 11 months of home detention.
Gunn grew up with his father in Waiouru and led a good life until early last year, defence lawyer Peter Foster said.
Gunn then moved to Palmerston North, developed a methamphetamine addiction and met people who encouraged him into criminal and anti-social behaviour. ‘‘This is a case where a young person went off the rails for a short time and has redeemed himself,’’ Judge Stephanie Edwards told the court.
Gunn’s most serious offence was an aggravated robbery, which he carried out with three others on November 2.
The trio went to a house, where they told a 19-year-old parttime student he owed them money.
Gunn punched the student in the face, while his mates forced their way inside.
The student fought back, but was overpowered before the group took off with $958 of electronics.
Left with bruising to his right eye and nose, the victim feared the group would return to finish the job.
Three months earlier, Gunn stopped his vehicle on Ferguson St, Palmerston North, and accused a male pedestrian of flirting with his girlfriend.
Despite the pedestrian repeatedly denying the claims, Gunn punched him in the head several times as the victim tried desperately to ward off the blows with his hands.
Gunn fled with the man’s wallet. Later that night, Gunn recognised the same man walking in The Square.
Gunn chased the man into Subway, on the corner of Church and Princess streets, where he assaulted him a second time. Police arrested Gunn at the scene.
‘‘He had no idea why you assaulted him and he hadn’t been involved with your girlfriend at all,’’ the judge said.
‘‘He is scared to go out alone out of fear of running into you again.’’
The trio went to a house and forced their way inside.
In July last year, Gunn followed two people in a vehicle from The Plaza car park for a short distance.
Once they stopped, Gunn walked over, opened the door and punched the two occupants twice each.
He told the two victims: ‘‘Do you know who we are? We are the Mongrel Mob. We are here to knock you out.’’
They were left with a split lip and bleeding nose, respectively.
One of Gunn’s co-offenders, Nivah Woodman, 22, was given a three-year prison term in May, which he will serve without the chance of early release. Woodman would usually be eligible for release after serving one-third of his sentence. But he had a conviction for aggravated robbery in 2015, which brings the three-strikes law into play. On a second strike, the full sentence must be served.