Dunedin District Court

TO continue an assault once the victim was on the ground was something more than thuggery. It was cruel and nasty, Judge Michael Crosbie said yesterday.

Lake Christopher Raymond Dent (18), job seeker beneficiary and course participant, of Dunedin, was for sentence in the Dunedin District Court convicted of assaulting a man with intent to injure him.

He had admitted the July 22 offence.

Reviewing the facts, the judge said Dent and about 20 others were at a party in Andersons Bay, about 10pm.

Noticing his tobacco missing from another room, the victim confronted a group of people which included Dent.

The victim and Dent did not know each other.

Dent rolled up his sleeves, punched the victim once in the face, causing him to fall, then punched and kicked him while he lay there curled up and trying to protect himself from the blows.

Two associates joined in before other people stopped the attack.

The victim sustained bruising to his back, left shoulder and head.

Public defender Meg Scally said Dent was willing to take part in restorative justice. He turned up at the conference but the victim did not attend. Dent was genuinely remorseful. His guilty plea was at the earliest opportunity.

Dent was sentenced to three months’ community detention (curfewed 7pm7am daily), nine months’ supervision and 120 hours’ community work.

He is also to pay the victim $500 emotional harm reparation.