A Blenheim teenager used a metal pole as a bat to smash at least four letterboxes and one boundary fence in a drunken spree, the Blenheim District Court heard this week.
Craig Singleton, a 19-year-old panelbeater, pleaded guilty to five charges of wilful damage and one charge of possessing an offensive weapon.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Graham Single said Singleton was on Weld St with a female friend about 11pm on March 20. He had found a metal pole and began using it as a bat.
Mr Single said a resident caught Singleton in the act and confronted him, to which Singleton said, "bring it on". The man retreated and called police.
Police received six complaints, but more letterboxes had probably been damaged, Mr Single said.
Defence counsel Laurie Murdoch said Singleton had expressed frustration with his life and was not dealing with alcohol well.
Judge Tony Zohrab convicted Singleton, who will reappear in court for sentencing on May 31. Meat grader jailedFailing to do the final two hours of a community work sentence has landed a Blenheim man time to think about it from a prison cell.
Samuel Wiremu John Edmonds, a 26-year-old meat grader, pleaded guilty to breaching his community work order.
Edmonds had completed 238 hours of a 240-hour community work sentence for previous convictions, but had failed to report 45 times, the court heard.
Judge Zohrab said Edmonds' attendance was "erratic" and said he was not prepared to impose more community work as punishment. Prison was the "only appropriate response", the judge said.
Edmonds was sentenced to one month in prison.
Prank went wrongA playful prank by a Picton teenager has landed his brother with a conviction and an order to complete community work.
Nathan Pierre Matiaha-Smith, 28, pleaded guilty to threatening to injure his 16-year-old brother with intent to frighten.
Mr Single said Matiaha-Smith was with his brother on the Waikawa Bay slipway about 8.30am on April 15.
Both brothers were in the process of launching a small dinghy to collect paua and both had been drinking alcohol, Mr Single said. The younger brother tackled Matiaha-Smith and they fell into the water, flipping the dinghy and resulting in a violent struggle that prompted a member of the public to call police.
Defence counsel Miss Murdoch said Matiaha-Smith, who works as a paua diver, got angry because he was worried about the outboard motor and he was fully clothed, while his younger brother was in full dive gear.
Miss Murdoch said Matiaha-Smith only yelled abuse at his brother and did not physically touch him.
Judge Zohrab said Matiaha-Smith had "a history of not being able to control himself" and sentenced him to 40 hours of community work.
Threatened policeA Mayfield teenager who threatened police with a homemade spear was warned by a judge he could go to jail if he was caught again.
Samuel James Koroheke, 17, pleaded guilty to obstructing and resisting police, possession of a knife and showing intention to use a weapon to cause bodily injury.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Steve Frost said that on February 15 police were at Koroheke's home to arrest a woman on an unrelated matter.
He said Koroheke picked up a stick with three nails on the end and advanced on the police officers, saying he was going to "stab and kill the officers".
Then on March 28, a Swiss army knife was found in Koroheke's pocket when he was arrested on another matter in the Redwoodtown School grounds, Mr Frost said.
Defence counsel Philip Watson said on February 15 Koroheke was trying to defend the woman and was angry at how the police were dealing with her.
Judge Zohrab said Koroheke was young "but no stranger to the courts".
Koroheke was convicted and sentenced to 180 hours of community work and Judge Zohrab ordered that the weapons be destroyed.
Drug offencesA Waikawa mother who was sentenced to intensive supervision for drugs offences was warned by a judge that prison would be her next stop if she offended again.
Venice Deanna Clark, 25, pleaded guilty to possession of a cannabis plant and possession of a water bong used to smoke the class C drug.
Judge Zohrab said Clark had a "relatively busy criminal history" and warned further offending could result in a prison sentence. Clark was convicted and sentenced to 12 months' intensive supervision. She will be sentenced for two theft charges in June.
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