Man jailed for kicking policeman in head
A judge has sent a “strong message” when jailing a young man who kicked a police officer in the head in Queenstown.
On Monday, Judge Michael Crosbie sentenced Cameron Nicholas Couch, 24, to 12 months in prison for the aggravated assault of a police officer in 2023.
Couch, who appeared in the Invercargill District Court, had earlier been found guilty at a jury trial.
Police had arrived at Shotover St in Queenstown at 12.20am on a July night and began dealing with several people, including Couch, who had been “drinking to excess”.
Police wanted to speak with Couch and took him to a patrol vehicle, but he attempted to break free, and kicked out at officers and exited the vehicle, acting aggressively and violently, the judge said.
He was eventually controlled and placed into the back of the vehicle, but he made a number of threats to the sergeant, and wrestled free and “forcibly kicked him several times to the left hand side of his head”.
The group of people surrounding the fracas had become large and were egging on Couch, which was a risky situation for the police, the judge said.
He pointed to Couch’s violent history, which included two assault convictions in 2019, one assault conviction in 2020, and injuring with reckless disregard in 2021.
He had been sentenced to every community-based sentence available, and the message had not got through, the judge said.
He wanted to deter such behaviour, saying the job of police officers was difficult enough in dealing with intoxicated
“He has a tendency to become belligerent ... he accepts he cannot drink again.” Scott Williamson, defence lawyer
offenders at New Zealand’s holiday spots.
“[But] it’s another thing to be subjected to an assault.
“So there needs to be an equally strong message that offenders with a criminal history for violence, who continue to offend against members of the police, can expect to receive not insignificant sentences.”
Defence lawyer Scott Williamson said Couch needed to say no to alcohol.
“He acknowledges if he ever gets drunk, he is a bad drunk. He has a tendency to become belligerent ... he accepts he cannot drink again.”
The judge noted that Couch had taken steps to deal with his alcohol issue.