Lasting concussion symptoms plague victim of pub punch months after attack

The victim of a violent pub assault is still suffering months after he was punched in the head multiple times.

After he was seriously assaulted by Reginald Pearce, the man spent four days in hospital, had to undergo surgery to fix a fractured jaw and had since noticed a change in his personality because of his head injury.

Judge Chris Sygrove told the New Plymouth District Court the 31-year-old victim was often muddled and quick to anger.

‘‘He’s short-tempered and gets annoyed at the slightest things,’’ the judge said.

The impact on the victim was discussed at Pearce’s sentencing yesterday for a charge of wounding with intent to injure. He previously pleaded guilty. Sygrove said on September 4, Pearce was drinking at the Decanta bar on Devon St West in New Plymouth when he began slapping the victim on the face.

After the victim flicked Pearce’s cap off his head, Pearce retaliated and punched the man in the face with a closed fist. Sygrove said this knocked the victim out and he fell to the ground.

The victim’s brother intervened and wrapped his arms around Pearce in an attempt to stop any more punches being thrown.

Bar security then stepped in and separated the two men.

Pearce then punched the victim, who was still prone on the floor, in the head multiple times before being restrained and forcibly removed from the bar, the judge said.

Crown prosecutor Jacob Bourke said the repeated attacks to the head were an aggravating factor in the offending as was the victim’s vulnerability and his inability to defend himself.

Lawyer Andrew Laurenson accepted it was a violent attack and said it was one his client was embarrassed about.

‘‘He’s disgusted in the way he behaved.’’

He said his client went out drinking to try and console himself after he heard his former partner might be leaving the area with their two children.

Laurenson said this triggered something in Pearce, who had missed out on knowing his father during his childhood and he was worried his own children might suffer the way he had.

However, since the offending, Laurenson said Pearce had done everything he could to atone for his offending.

This included making an offer to pay $5000 in emotional harm to the victim.

‘‘Mr Pearce realises he’s caused damage here and he wants to do what he can to put it right,’’ Laurenson said.

He asked Sygrove to follow the recommendation of the probation service and impose a sentence of supervision and community work, along with the reparation order.

However, Sygrove said due to the seriousness of the assault, he was not willing to budge from anything short of home detention.

Pearce was sentenced to six months’ home detention and ordered to pay $5000.

A strike warning was also issued.