Community detention for brothers

A shopkeeper refusing to take a ripped up $50 note was enough to send two “pretty drunk” brothers over the limit, a court has heard.

Hori Barber and Paikea Barber became violent with staff at a Palmerston North dairy on the evening of August 8.

They drove to the shop intoxicated. After their banknote was refused, they began throwing items around and verbally abusing staff.

The pair appeared together in the dock at the Palmerston North District Court on Friday for sentencing on charges relating to the night-time incident.

Judge Tony Couch said Hori Barber continued his violent behaviour inside the shop for some time.

Customers had to leave for their own safety, and Hori grabbed a staff member.

That man was shoved towards the counter and grabbed by the throat as Hori tried to push him to the floor.

The judge said the effect of his behaviour on the victim was considerable.

Paikea Barber was also responsible for much of the same behaviour, the judge said, but to a somewhat lesser extent in regards to the assault.

The men were eventually forced from the store and attempted to flee in a vehicle driven by Paikea. When police attempted to stop them, he failed to comply with their orders.

Hori became aggressive and kept pulling away while handcuffed, and Paikea had driven dangerously over grass verges inside a reserve.

Since the incident, Paikea had failed to answer bail and failed to remain stopped for an officer during an unrelated traffic incident.

The judge said alcohol was “clearly” a significant factor in the offending at the dairy but not one he could accept as mitigating.

“You two were pretty drunk.”

He took into account their early guilty pleas and accepted recommendations from a pre-sentence report that suggested community detention as an appropriate outcome.

Hori was ordered to serve three months’ community detention while Paikea must serve four months. Both would have curfews from 7am to 7pm.

Hori also received a sentence of nine months’ intensive supervision. The judge imposed that for one year on Paikea, who was also disqualified from driving for six months.

Assaults on dairy staff on the rise

According to national police data, retail crimes were reported to police at a rate of more than 400 a day last year. There were also six retail staff a day alleging they’d been assaulted.

Those assaults were getting worse, and Retail NZ said the aggression from offenders was too.

The retailers’ association undertook a survey of retail owners last year and found 92% of respondents had experienced some from of retail crime in the past 12 months. This was an increase on the 81% from its previous survey in 2017.

Out of all incidents reported to police, 78% included physical violence while 19% included threatening behaviour.

Retail NZ said this had a negative effect on victims’ mental health and on the wellbeing of employees and business owners.

The sector was seen as a “dangerous” place to work, and employers needed to ensure they had strong health and safety programmes and de-escalation training and support for staff.