Oamaru District Court

A 47YEAROLD Oamaru man has been jailed after he threatened to bash his neighbour with a hammer.

Jason Geoffrey Doublett was sentenced by Judge Joanna Maze at the Oamaru District Court on Wednesday, on charges of possession of an offensive weapon and wilful trespass, laid as a result of an incident on January 25.

Two days earlier, about 9.30am, he entered the property of his Reed St neighbour, where he had been trespassed from on January 11, and abused the victim.

Doublett was asked to leave and initially did, but returned several times throughout the course of the day and further abused the victim.

About 10am on January 25 Doublett again walked on to the property, this time with a hammer, which he used to bang on a fence while he shouted ‘‘I’ll give you the bash with the hammer’’ and ‘‘come here, I’m going to hurt you’’, to the victim.

He then raised the hammer above his head before police were called.

Doublett declined to speak with police when they arrived to arrest him.

Judge Joanna Maze said Doublett, who wrote a letter of apology to the victim, had major issues with ‘‘selfcontrol’’ and pointed to his history of threatening behaviour.

She said while he did not advance on the victim while in possession of the hammer, Doublett clearly ‘‘presented a threat’’.

He was sentenced to 11 months jail for possession of an offensive weapon and one month for wilful trespass, to be served concurrently.

Dangerous driving

An Oamaru man’s attempts to evade pursing police by first speeding and then turning his headlights off ended up being a futile exercise, the Oamaru District Court heard on Wednesday.

Peter John Waldron (24) appeared before Judge Joanna Maze on a charge of dangerous driving.

The court was told about 12.50am on June 16, Waldron was driving south on State Highway 1 in Oamaru when police saw him speeding and pursued his vehicle.

The patrol car, with its red and blue flashing lights on, travelled at ‘‘considerable speed’’ firstly along State Highway 1, before turning right into Cross St, Aln St and finally Eden St, in an effort to catch Waldron’s vehicle.

Police lost sight of Waldron at the intersection of Aln and Reed Sts.

A short time later Waldron, who had turned his headlights off in an effort to lose police, was seen going through a red light at Coquet St by police in another patrol car, before he turned left in to Thames St and was pulled over.

He claimed he did not realise he was being pursued until he was driving on Aln St, but panicked as he held a learner licence and had the maximum number of demerit points to his name.

Waldron was fined $600, ordered to pay court costs of $130 and disqualified from driving for six months.

Other convictions

John Paul Neville Bailey (26), of Oamaru, driving while disqualified, Wansbeck St, May 5, fined $400, disqualified six months.

Nigel Robert Baird (36), courier, of Weston, drinkdriving, 520mcg, Main St, April 20, 80 hours community work, 12 months’ supervision, disqualified 13 months; breach of supervision, at Oamaru, 12 months’ supervision.

Shanan Daniel Munro (20), hairdresser, of Oamaru, driving while disqualified, WestonNgapara Rd, fined $400, disqualified six months.

Tain Joseph Terrence Cropley (22), of Oamaru, breach of community work, at Oamaru, convicted and discharged.

Robin Michael Gough (41), freezing worker, of Oamaru, driving while disqualified, Nen St, May 6, 90 hours community work.

Damien Bruce McMillan (19), of Oamaru, breach of release conditions, at Oamaru, convicted and ordered to appeared if called on within six months.

Daniel Leonard Vickers (29), of Oamaru, driving while disqualified, Tamar St, May 21, 80 hours community work, disqualified 12 months.

Zayne Michael Patrick Andrews (22), of Oamaru, sustained loss of traction, at Oamaru, June 11, fined $400, disqualified six months.

Alysha Jasmine Sheehy (22), manager, of Weston, drinkdriving, 667mcg, June 9, fined $450, court costs $130, disqualified six months.

DarylMaree Reiri (22), of Kurow, driving while disqualified, Dixon St, Masterton), March 31, fined $200, court costs $130, disqualified six months.

Raniera Tamugene Luigi Makoare (27), of Oamaru, breach of community work, convicted and discharged.

‘‘I see before me a violent woman,’’ Judge Kevin Phillips said sentencing a Dunedin woman he described as having ‘‘a very strong footprint of violent acts’’.

Melissa Phebe Hughes (29), was before the Dunedin District Court yesterday, convicted of three representative charges of assault, the victims being three of her children — aged between 8 and 9, 6, and between 5 and 6 respectively over the period of the offending.

The judge said the assaults were not a ‘‘oneoff’’ act but ongoing over a period of months last year.

Hughes had previous convictions for assault. She also had major alcohol issues and was undergoing intervention.

Importantly, the children were safe now, the judge said.

Hughes wanted them back with her, he noted.

Counsel Jim Takas said Hughes was trying to change her life. She had taken a good look at herself and decided to change.

Hughes was sentenced to four months’ home detention. Condi tions of the sentence, and six months’ postdetention conditions, include requirement not to possess or consume alcohol or nonprescribed drugs.

Other convictions

Joshua CooksonFletcher (18), carpenter, of Mosgiel, drinkdriving (stopped by police, failed breath test, said he had five bourbon and colas; duty lawyer Louise Garthwaite said CooksonFletcher described it as “a stupid decision”), 682mcg, 11.50pm, June 1, Wharf St, fined $600, court costs $130, seven months’ disqualification.

Mitchell Roderick Park (46), cultivating cannabis, between August 5 and October 5 (police making inquiries at defendant’s address on October 5 detected strong smell of cannabis; Park not present; search of basement revealed 38 cannabis plants, 20cm30cm tall, in soilfilled bags, under heat lamps), five months’ community detention (curfewed 7pm7am daily), six months’ supervision (conditions include not to buy, possess or consume alcohol or illicit drugs). Counsel Rhona Daysh said Park had five previous drugrelated convictions, the last in 2004; Park, on doctor’s advice, now taking prescribed medication for pain from back injury, ‘‘says he had not had any cannabis since last year’’. Judge noted Park convicted of cultivation in 1989 and 2003.

Zachary Michael Gunn (21), labourer, of Dunedin, breaching community work (failed to complete required hours within period prescribed), December 15, convicted and discharged, final warning. Court told Gunn remanded on April 10 to complete 202.25 hours outstanding, done only eight hours since. Judge said Gunn ‘‘totally contemptuous’’ of the sentence and time given to complete, but no previous breach of community work, would be wrong to send him to prison for first breach; noted 194.25 hours remained, told him ‘‘if you don’t go, as directed by probation, they will breach you and you will go to prison and still have all the hours to do’’.

Lucy Anna Mitchell (29), of Dunedin, breaching community work (failed to complete required hours within period prescribed), February 22, convicted and discharged, final warning. Court probation officer Virginia Howden said Mitchell still had 108.25 hours of the sentence to complete. Lee Robert William Bradshaw (26), of Dunedin, intentional damage (while drunk became angry at being told to turn music down, broke door handle and kicked wall of Housing New Zealand property), October 11; failed to appear in court, October 31; breach of community work (sentenced to 350 hours on December 14, 2016, and 50 hours on July 5, failed to complete in prescribed time), December 14; 60 hours’ community work, six months’ supervision, $351 reparation.

James Joseph Andrews (27), of Dunedin, two charges of breaching community work (failed to report to probation, December 17 last year; failed to complete required hours within period prescribed, January 5 this year), convicted and discharged, final warning. Remanded to complete the hours, Andrews had done so, court heard.

Shaun Finlay Carter (44), builder/ACC recipient, of Dunedin, breaching protection order (by text messaging protected person), September 27, three months’ community detention (curfewed 7pm6am daily). Judge told him ‘‘the abuse you put into the texts is absolutely appalling . . . You were too quick to get the thumb going on the phone, not thinking about the hurt you caused; noted Carter previously convicted of breaching protection order, said ‘‘if you reappear for breaching a protection order, the court it is quite likely the court will say ‘enough’ and put you into prison’’. Ezra Paul Knight (34), selfemployed, of Oamaru, breaching protection order (behaved in manner amounting to psychological abuse of protected person), between April 24 and 26, 80 hours’ community work, nine months’ supervision (includes requirement to undergo drug and alcohol assessment and any followup, stopping violence programme, and any mental health intervention).

Ford Randell (28), of Dunedin, possessing methamphetamine, May 3, 100 hours’ community work, existing supervision cancelled, new sixmonth term (includes requirement to undergo drug and alcohol assessment and any followup; not to buy, possess or consume alcohol or any nonprescribed drug); unlawfully in building (former partner’s address), about 4pm, April 28, ninemonth deferred sentence, protection order in favour of victim. Randell had been in custody for six weeks, counsel Anne Stevens advised.

Dylan Cody Halkett (19), employed, of Dunedin, two charges of assault (in bar in Octagon about 3.30am, October 8; male approached Halkett’s partner, directed unkind words at her; Halkett approached male, words between them, Halkett gripped him around throat, pushed him backwards into wall; second victim, a woman, approached to try to stop things going further; Halkett slapped her once in face with one hand, gripped her tightly around throat with other), 100 hours’ community work (40 hours for assaulting male, additional 60 for assaulting woman), $700 emotional harm reparation ($300 to male, $400 to female). Halkett, a first offender, pleaded guilty partway through recent defended hearing.

Connor Eruera David MuirRopata (25), chef, of Dunedin, assaulting a female (came home from work, argued with his partner, she told him the relationship was over and to leave the house, MuirRopata was holding a cordless landline phone, threw it underhanded a metre at the victim, hit her in the mouth, causing damage to her teeth; defence counsel Steve Turner said the injury to the victim was an unintended consequence and that his client ‘‘immensely remorseful’’), January 22, nine months’ deferred sentence.