The hit-and-run took place near Gibb’s Bridge in Maitai Valley last September.
The man who knocked a teenage girl off her bicycle during a hit-and-run has been placed under the supervision of the court on the basis of his good behavior.
The man appeared on Thursday before the Nelson District Court for sentencing, where he was granted permanent name suppression because of the extreme hardship he would face if his name were known.
He had previously appeared in stuff after he hit one fifteen year old student with his car while cycling in Maitai Valley last year.
The student was clipped by the side mirror of the man’s vehicle near Gibb’s Bridge as she rode her bike to row practice early in the morning.
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She suffered abrasions and cuts to her face, hands, elbow and hip from the fall and had to be “patched up” after the incident.
Judge Joanne Rielly said the young woman was certainly “extremely shocked” by the incident.
The fact that the man did not stop to check on the young woman after beating her was an aggravating factor in his conviction.
In addition to the hit and run, the man had resisted police on two separate occasions in Auckland and Rai Valley.
He had previously been charged with evasion from police after avoiding a checkpoint during the 2021 lockdown in the Auckland area, and failing to comply with police demands to exit his vehicle.
An arrest warrant was issued for the man after the hit-and-run. On November 13, the man was arrested in the Rai Valley area.
The man locked himself in his car. A window had to be smashed to reach him, who was seen reaching for a machete with a 50cm blade while arguing with police.
Judge Rielly acknowledged that considerable time had passed between the man’s offenses and his conviction through no fault of his own.
While the man was technically capable of the violations, his mental health issues were believed to have contributed significantly to them.
Because he had paranoid schizophrenia, he was not legally responsible for the crimes he committed.
The man was convicted of all offenses and ordered to face a conviction within 12 months if summoned – essentially a “good behavior tie” with the criminal court.
Judge Rielly urged the man to adhere to his treatment regimen.