Coming out the other side a ‘better person’
It might sound a little strange but Harry Waters is glad he went to jail.
The 23-year-old, from Christchurch, was a binge drinker and heavy cannabis smoker as a teenager.
He was out of control and thought he was bulletproof.
But in 2012 that all changed when Waters, then aged 19, turned up drunk and uninvited to a 21st birthday party in New Brighton and threw punches at several guests before hitting one with a metal pole. The victim lost sight in one eye.
Waters admitted charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and assault, and was jailed for 21⁄ years in July 2013.
He was released on parole about a year ago and completed his sentence last week.
Waters is arguably one of the justice system’s success stories. ‘‘I’m glad I went to jail,’’ he said on Thursday. ‘‘I wish it took something else . . . to realise areas in my life where I was going wrong, but . . . I got out the other side a better person.’’
Waters makes no excuses for what happened. He’s sorry for the pain and suffering he caused the victim, but understands why that apology might never be accepted. ‘‘I wish I could take it [the assault] back.’’
The former Shirley Boys’ High School student, who lives in New Brighton, completed a drug treatment programme while behind bars. He said he had not touched cannabis or alcohol since he was sent to prison and had no intention of doing so in the future.
‘‘When you go to jail you’ve failed in life. I don’t want to disappoint my family ever again or cause harm to anybody else.’’
Waters said he left school at the age of 15 and wasted many of his teenage years drinking and taking drugs. He lived to party on a Saturday. He has two previous assault convictions that relate to alcohol-fuelled violence. ‘‘I didn’t have a lot of common sense when it came to that sort of stuff. When I was drinking I lost all . . . my morals.’’
Waters said that since his release from prison he had secured a full-time job with a guttering company, but hoped to work with youth and help them understand the dangers of alcohol so they did not make the same mistakes he had. ‘‘If you find yourself going out every weekend and hitting the piss, spending all your money, take a look at yourself and ask ‘why?’’’
‘‘You don’t need to drink to have a good time. I go out now with my friends probably once a month and drop them home at the end of the night. They all respect me for that. It’s hard to change, but it’s worth doing.’’
Water’s victim did not respond to requests for comment.