Attacker becomes the victim

The retaliatory attack on a man who assaulted his ex-wife’s new partner far outweighed any punishment a judge could sentence him to, a court has heard.

At the Ha¯ wera District Court yesterday, the police summary of facts outlined how Joel Steven Johnston drove to the Taranaki address of his ex-wife around 10pm on October 7, 2019. When he arrived, he parked in the driveway and saw the male victim’s car at the address. Johnston got angry and let down two tyres on the vehicle, before walking into the bedroom and seeing the man in bed next to his former wife.

‘‘The defendant approached the victim, who was asleep and effectively incapable of defending himself, and began punching him to the head at least four times, causing the victim’s nose to bleed and bruising to his left eye,’’ the summary said.

Following the attack, the man retaliated, and Michael Henry James Tahu later pleaded guilty on a charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to injure and a charge of wilful damage.

In November Johnston himself pleaded guilty to three charges: burglary, assault with intent to injure and wilful damage.

In the Ha¯ wera District Court yesterday, Judge Chris Sygrove told Johnston that being upset was understandable, given the recent separation and that the man was ‘‘in bed with your wife’’.

Sygrove told the defendant the punishment meted out to him after the victim caught up with him ‘‘far outweighs’’ any that Sygrove would deem appropriate to sentence him to.

The judge noted that Johnston had been hit with a metal pole, leaving him with a fractured skull and a large cut.

Johnston was sentenced to 12 months’ supervision. His victim-turned-attacker, Tahu, will be sentenced on March 18.