Tairua boat rage: Man admits assault
Aconvicted murderer has admitted his role in a boat-rage incident at a Coromandel wharf.
John Frederick Dixon yesterday admitted dangerous activity involving ships and assaulting Catherine Maree Browning at Tairua on January 23.
Judge Paul Mabey convicted and fined Dixon $750 in the Thames District Court, and also sentenced him to nine months’ supervision.
The argument was captured on video and involves swearing, shouting and spitting — finishing with the inflatable dinghy starting to sink after an enraged Dixon drives into the boat Browning was on.
Browning resigned as deputy principal of Tairua School and was granted diversion over her role, when she swung an oar at Dixon.
Dixon, who is on life parole, was recalled to prison.
The Hamilton District Court heard at the time that because of his criminal history an interim recall order came into effect immediately, pending a final decision by the Parole Board.
Court documents state that Dixon said “he was just giving back what the other vessels deserved after damaging his vessel” which he lives in.
About 3.30pm, Dixon was on his
boat when two vessels went past, heading towards the Tairua Wharf.
Dixon got his inflatable rubber boat and sped towards the two boats, which were now stationary at the wharf.
He approached Browning and spat at her before abusing the victim, saying she had caused $1000 worth of damage to his vessel.
The pair then abused each other before Dixon drove his boat in circles and connected with her craft.
The impact caused Dixon to fall from the opposite side of the boat and into the shallow water.
As a result of being knocked off her boat, Browning suffered minor bruising to her lower leg and arm.
He declined to make a formal statement or be interviewed by police.
However he had since indicated he “feels sorry for the victim and the consequences this has caused”.
Dixon declined to comment when approached outside court yesterday, but Judge Paul Mabey expressed concern that he was still able to get angry “in such an extreme way, at his age” and while on parole.
He acknowledged the near seven weeks Dixon spent in custody behind bars.
Given Dixon’s “extreme” health issues, coupled with his limited means and the parole board’s anger management condition, he felt a fine and supervision was an adequate sentence.
Dixon’s lawyer, Peter Eastwood, said outside court they were happy with the outcome and that his client wanted to resolve it despite there being “issues that he was wanting to challenge”.
Dixon has spent the past three decades on parole after he was convicted of murdering another man at the age of 16.
He was released from prison in 1987 after serving eight years for the murder of Joseph ‘Little Joe’ Hishon in 1978.