Dunedin District Court

‘‘THERE was no provocation, not some scuffle going on. You just did it,’’ Judge Kevin Phillips said jailing a man who, while attacking a constable, grabbed him forcefully by the testicles.

Taine MitaPiriu Edwards (22), unemployed, of Mosgiel, was before the Dunedin District Court this week convicted of assaulting a constable with intent to obstruct him and two charges of intentional damage, from an incident on August 11.

He had also been convicted of breaching a home detention condition not to consume alcohol, and he was for resentence on the burglary offence on which the home detention was imposed.

The summary for the August incident said Edwards was at home with his mother and a friend about midnight.

Edwards had been drinking and was intoxicated.

Agitated when he could not find his glasses, he left the house and smashed a pane of glass in a neighbour’s back door.

He returned home, still agitated.

Police were called.

While the constable was speaking to him in the lounge, Edwards attacked him, punching and hitting him about the body before grabbing him forcefully by the testicles.

‘‘He had to use OC spray to get away from you,’’ the judge said.

While still inside the address, Edwards threw a chair, smashing glass in a sliding door, the judge noted.

Counsel Rhona Daysh said Edwards had been in custody since midAugust. It was his first time in prison.

‘‘He has found it a very unpleasant experience and has had his eyes opened.’’

Restorative justice had been fruitful and positive, Ms Daysh said.

Acknowledging Edwards would receive imprisonment, she asked that it be ‘‘a short rather than a long term’’.

For assault, Edwards was sentenced to 12 months’ jail (with six months’ release conditions).

Concurrent with that sentence were onemonth prison terms on all other matters.

And he is to pay reparation amounting to $858.92.