Queenstown District Court MORE Q’TOWN COURT @ Page 12

A WHANGANUI woman who kicked another person in the head while they were lying on the ground — there because she had dragged them down by the hair — will be sentenced next month.

Shaunee Lee Corner (26) admitted one charge of assault with intent to injure and a second of assault in the Queenstown District Court before Judge Russell Walker yesterday.

The charges related to an incident in Queenstown on September 14 last year.

Prosecuting sergeant Ian Collin said the two victims had been in the Queenstown CBD drinking with the defendant, her partner, and other friends.

About 12.20am the following day, the defendant and one of her associates got into an argument in Ballarat St.

CCTV cameras captured the subsequent incident.

Sgt Collin said Corner was seen pushing the first victim, then throwing three punches at the victim’s head and pulling the victim to the ground by the hair.

Another associate joined in the assault on that victim.

The second victim attempted to separate Corner and her associate — Corner struck that person in the head with a closed fist.

‘‘While the first victim was on the ground, the defendant approached, grabbed the first victim’s hair and, using her right leg, kicked [the victim] to the right side of the head.’’

Corner was pulled away but continued trying to approach the victim, who was still on the ground, and kick out.

Bystanders intervened and Corner was arrested.

Sgt Collin said the first victim was taken to Lakes District Hospital and treated for concussion and a contusion, while the second victim sustained a concussion and a facial injury. Reparation of $800 was sought in relation to the second victim.

Judge Walker remanded Corner for sentencing on August 24.

Domestic violence

A 46yearold Queenstown man has been sentenced to nine months’ supervision after admitting assaulting his wife and stepdaughter in January.

Judge Russell Walker said there had been an altercation in the man’s home, during which he pushed his wife in the stomach, which caused her daughter to intervene.

‘‘You then turned on your stepdaughter and grabbed her around the neck,’’ the judge said.

‘‘She kicked you.’’

Defence counsel Kirsty Allan said it was a ‘‘fleeting assault in the context of a family argument’’ and neither victim was injured.

‘‘It was very much a situational incident . . . his regret for what’s taken place may provide the court with some assurance it’s unlikely to take place again.’’

Judge Walker said a presentence report indicated alcohol was an underlying factor in the man’s offending and he needed to address his drinking if it resulted in that type of behaviour.

‘‘You say that this is not the way you normally behave — there is nothing I have read to say that that is not true.’’

Taking into account the man’s ‘‘obvious’’ remorse, Judge Walker imposed special conditions on the supervision and ordered 75 hours’ community work.

Drinkdriving

Steven Mear (44), concrete worker, of Southland, told police he had consumed ‘‘one beer’’ before driving from Lake Hawea, over the Crown Range Rd, on June 30, being stopped at 2.58pm near the Lower Shotover Bridge.

A breath screening test, however, returned a reading of 1102mcg, almost five times the legal limit of 250mcg.

Defence counsel Bryony Shackell said Mear had been followed by police from the top of the Crown Range and was eventually stopped due to ‘‘fluctuating speed’’.

It was Mear’s first offence, ‘‘although, clearly, it was a high reading and that is acknowledged’’.

Ms Shackell said Mear had not consumed alcohol since the incident.

He was a highlyrespected member of the community, had volunteered for Coastguard for at least three years and ran a ‘‘very visible’’ antilitter campaign throughout the wider region, where he spent time collecting rubbish himself.

Judge Walker, however, said the offending was ‘‘not the mark of a man who does all those . . . things . . . and is well thought of by the people who have provided you with references’’.

‘‘[The Crown Range] is a particularly difficult road.

‘‘You had ‘a beer’?

‘‘No you didn’t.

‘‘You had lots of them because with a level like that you must have known . . . that you . . . shouldn’t have been driving.’’

Mear was fined $1200, ordered to pay $130 court costs, disqualified for 28 days and ordered to apply for alcohol interlock and

zero alcohol licences.

Other convictions

Sean Martin Casey (28), concrete worker, of Arrowtown, drinkdriving, 698mcg (fourth conviction), Robins Rd, June 27 at Queenstown, nine months’ supervision, with special conditions, 150 hours’ community work, disqualified one year and one day.

Harshit Singh Khinchi (25), of Frankton, drinkdriving, 783mcg, Ballarat St, July 2 at Queenstown, fined $900, court costs $130, disqualified six months

Adam Lindsay Hunter (30), drinkdriving, 550mcg, Kawarau Rd, March 27 at Queenstown, fined $650, court costs $130, disqualified six months.

POLICE found cannabis and MDMA at the home of a drunk Arrowtown man after he was seen yelling at passersby from his vehicle in the township’s main street on May 29.

Brad Phillip Paterson (42), a builder, allegedly drove away at speed after a member of the public saw him sitting in his stopped car in Buckingham St, about 11pm, yelling at pedestrians.

When police went to his Adamson Dr home about an hour later to look for him, they could smell cannabis through his open front door.

They found cannabis and a bong in the lounge.

Paterson, whom they found asleep in bed, told them he used the drug to relieve back pain.

Despite a breathalcohol test giving a result of 507mcg, he told police he had not been driving and had been ‘‘asleep for hours’’.

Paterson appeared before Judge Russell Walker in the Queenstown District Court yesterday to face three charges stemming from that incident.

He was also facing two charges arising from a search of his home on August 14 last year, when police found two bags of cannabis weighing 42g in total.

The search also unearthed 1g of MDMA in two bags in his bedroom.

The defendant told officers the cannabis was for his own use, but thought the MDMA had been left at the house after a party about two weeks earlier.

Counsel Tanya Surrey said the defendant had no previous convictions, and had entered early guilty pleas for the drug charges.

He denies a drinkdriving charge arising from the May 29 incident, and the matter is expected to proceed to trial.

Judge Walker convicted the defendant on the drugs charges and sentenced him as follows: possession of MDMA, August 14 last year, fined $300, court costs $130; possession of cannabis plant, August 14, fined $300, court costs $130; possession of cannabis plant, May 30, $130 court costs; possession of a cannabis bong, May 30, $130 court costs.

Unnecessary acceleration

A judge has insisted a Queenstown man complete a driving improvement course as part of his sentence for three driving offences.

Through counsel Tanya Surrey, Seth David Solvander (24), of Lake Hayes Estate, proffered three excuses for not completing the course: Covid19, a lack of money, and the school holidays.

He appeared for sentencing yesterday on charges of an unnecessary exhibition of acceleration and driving while suspended, both in Ballarat St on March 17 last year, and driving while suspended, on State Highway 6 (Kawarau Gorge) on April 2 last year.

At a court appearance in January, he was told he would receive a community work sentence if he completed the driving course within two months.

But when he returned to court on March 9, he had yet to do so.

The arrival of Covid19 prevented him from getting on the course in April.

Judge Walker told Solvander enough time had passed since the lifting of the Covid19 lockdown for him to complete the course, and gave him another 90 days to rectify the situation.

He convicted the defendant and, for unnecessary acceleration, sentenced him to 80 hours’ community work.

For the two charges of driving while suspended, he was sentenced to 80 hours’ community work, to be carried out concurrently.