Puncher’s conviction to stand

The man who hit his stepdaughter’s rapist has failed in his bid to overturn his conviction for the attack.

He stood trial in Wellington District Court last year, saying he had only done what any father would do.

However, a jury had found him guilty of injuring with intent to injure.

The man, whose name is suppressed to protect the identity of his stepdaughter, has said he had no regrets about hitting Jason Haward, who would later be convicted of raping the teenage girl at Paraparaumu beach in 2016.

The man maintained that he had been intent on preventing Haward leaving before the police got there.

He was sentenced to 240 hours of community work.

In a judgment released yesterday, the Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal.

Its ruling was based on whether there had been a miscarriage of justice because of errors or irregularities in how the evidence was handled.

The court said that the Crown’s case was strong and consistent and no miscarriage of justice had occurred.