Camper fined in 'nasty' assault

A Blenheim man who attacked a camper who put human faeces in his girlfriend's handbag was yesterday sentenced to community detention and ordered to pay his victim's medical expenses.

Lance James Mackel, 20, was sentenced to three months' community detention when he appeared in the Blenheim District Court yesterday, and ordered to pay $173.80 reparation after admitting assault with intent to injure.

Judge Bruce Davidson said Mackel was involved in "an unusual set of circumstances, but that being said, the assault was very nasty and resulted in nasty injuries".

Defence counsel Bryony Millar said the community detention sentence would allow Mackel to continue working.

In an earlier appearance, police prosecutor Sergeant Graham Single said the incident started at a Department of Conservation camping ground in Cow Shed Bay early on November 28, after victim Andrew Francis Carman, 58, a camper at the ground, walked to a campsite where loud music had been playing all night.

Carman was not happy about the noise and wanted to tell the noisy campers what he thought and get their car registration numbers, he said.

But there was no-one at the campsite.

Carman saw a pile of human faeces and, in a "spur of the moment decision", he shovelled the faeces through the open window of a nearby car and into a handbag that was on the front seat, Mr Single said.

He did not think anyone had seen him and he walked back to his campsite.

However, a friend of Mackle saw the incident.

Mackle confronted Carman, chased him and punched him in the head several times.

Mr Carman was knocked unconscious.

Other campers saw the attack and stopped Mackle from continuing, Mr Single said.

Mackle left and returned a short time later, but was not allowed to see Carman because others believed he would assault him again, he said.

Carman was concussed and suffered severe bruising to his face, head and jaw, a cut to his eye brow and memory loss.

His right eye was blackened and swollen and he could not see out of it for several days, Mr Single said.

He had also been diagnosed with a broken clavicle.

Carman was earlier fined a total of $550 on charges of offensive behaviour and wilful damage. He was ordered to pay court costs and $650 reparation to the owner of the handbag.

- The Marlborough Express Last updated 12:00 22/03/2011