A woman who fought off an attacker is furious to hear her alleged assailant could face a reduced charge.
West Auckland resident Noreen Roudon, 26, famously fought off an attacker last November, scratching him with acrylic fingernails she had applied for a Nicki Minaj concert.
An unemployed West Auckland man who is accused of the attack has interim name suppression. Courts confirmed this week the man faces aggravated assault charges, specifically assault with intent to facilitate indecent assault. The crime carries a maximum jail term of three years.
Roudon said police had advised her the charge could be changed to male-assaults-female, a crime carrying a two-year maximum jail sentence.
It is understood the accused man's counsel said there might be a plea bargain with police. "I got really upset," Roudon said. "It was a shock to the system."
Roudon was set upon after getting off a train at Sunnyvale on November 23. Roudon spoke out in the Herald on Sunday and the CCTV footage was released. Roudon said a less serious assault charge gave people the wrong impression of what happened.
"I was gutted because I hoped people don't think I just picked a fight with someone random."
The possible plea bargain was not the first surprise for Roudon since the attack.
In December, she learned the man was bailed to a Henderson address only 750m from her home. Roudon has since moved house.
Henderson police did not return calls this week to talk about the case.
The 26-year-old man will reappear in court next month.
- by John Weekes of the Herald on Sunday
