Prison term for stabbing jogger

The luck of the Irish ran out for a female jogger who was stabbed in the thigh by a man wielding a 40cm knife.

Shayden Storm Cavenagh, 26, was sentenced in the Nelson District Court to three years in jail after pleading guilty to charges including wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, threatening to do grievous bodily harm, intentional damage and assaults police.

A police summary of facts said he was involved in a Friday night fight in Tahunanui in December, 2016, with four men, whom he chased off with a 40cm Bowiestyle knife before crossing paths with the 28-year-old female tourist.

He accused her of knowing the men he’d been fighting with and, despite her protest to the contrary, stabbed her in the thigh after asking her, ‘‘do you wanna get stabbed?’’

The victim had been out for a run with two friends from her hostel but was jogging on her own by the time she came across Cavenagh, about 9.20pm, by the Tahunanui Lions Playground.

Cavenagh stabbed her, then turned his attention to a nearby vehicle and she managed to get to a nearby accommodation facility.

She was taken to hospital and required seven stitches to the ‘‘large gash’’.

Cavenagh, meanwhile, approached the nearby car.

The 61-year-old driver had been walking with his partner and they were in their car, attempting to leave, when Cavenagh approached and struck the car with the knife.

Police said Cavenagh was ‘‘highly abusive’’ when they arrested him and kicked a constable in the leg.

Lawyer Steven Zindel said Cavenagh had, since receiving an earlier sentence indication, cooperated with restorative justice through a video conference call with the Irish tourist.

Judge David Ruth sentenced Cavenagh to three years’ imprisonment on the wounding charge, 12 months for threatening behaviour and intentional damage, and six months for assaulting police.

He was also sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for assaulting a child, whom he’d hit after the young boy pulled down a TV screen while in his care. The sentences will be served concurrently.