Community detention

Dunedin student Robert Malcolm Flett remembered very little of a violent incident at a friend’s house in late July because he was too intoxicated, his counsel said.

Flett, a 33yearold, was asked to leave his friend’s house about 1.40am on July 29 because he had upset the friend by drinking some of his alcohol without permission.

As he was handed some property on his way out of the house, he swung a punch at the other man but missed. A brief scuffle ensued between the men, neither of whom was injured.

Flett then sat on the floor in the hallway, becoming somewhat agitated and banging his head against a door. The other man and his partner were frightened by this and called the police.

They held the lounge door shut against the defendant who pushed against it, trying to get in, before grabbing two kitchen knives and stabbing the door numerous times.

When two police officers arrived, they warned Flett to stay still. But he charged at one constable, was peppersprayed and continued resisting the two officers who eventually handcuffed him.

Flett admitted charges of common assault, unlawfully possessing a knife and resisting police.

Counsel Sophia Thorburn said the defendant had been very honest in admitting his offending was driven by alcohol. There was alcoholism in his family and it was something he had struggled with.

He had been having counselling through Moana House and had apologised to the victims at a restorative justice meeting.

Judge Macdonald described Flett’s behaviour on the night as ‘‘quite irrational and disturbing’’ but acknowledged the steps he had been taking to deal with his alcoholism.

On each charge he sentenced the defendant to 12 months’ intensive supervision and two months’ community detention.