Ashton Johnmayne Daley was sentenced to 29 months’ imprisonment when he appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday after earlier admitting a charge of causing grievous bodily harm with reckless disregard.
Judge David Robinson described the background to the incident as "particularly disturbing".
On November 15, the defendant and the victim had been drinking before getting into an argument at the Dunedin Central Library.
Later, at the defendant’s house, a fight broke out between the pair.
It quickly became one-sided, as Daley repeatedly punched the victim’s head, causing him to bleed profusely.
The victim crawled toward the door believing Daley was going to kill him.
The defendant dragged the victim into the driveway and punched and kicked his upper body.
The victim used a brief reprieve to escape, running into traffic on State Highway1 where a member of the public sheltered him in their vehicle until emergency services arrived.
Police found Daley in his bedroom heavily intoxicated with bruised knuckles.
Fourteen of the victim’s ribs were broken, he had a fractured nose, cuts to his eyelids that needed stitches, welts on his forehead and a cracked tailbone.
In a statement to the court written in December, the victim said at the time he was in "extreme pain" and his injuries had rendered him immobile.
The court heard the victim’s wounds stopped him from progressing towards his goals and he was fearful of what Daley might do in the future.
But Daley said the attack was "avoidable" and police should have handled the earlier incident at the library differently.
He had written a letter of remorse, but did not apologise directly to the victim in it, the court heard.
Judge Robinson noted the defendant justified his actions by saying the victim "started to act like a bully".
"That seems to cut across the claims of remorse," the judge said.
Judge Robinson highlighted the defendant’s extensive criminal history, which featured violence, thefts and breaches of court orders.
He noted Daley’s difficult background where he was exposed to abuse and drug use at a young age.
At the time of the attack, Daley was on release conditions after serving a previous prison sentence.
"This can properly be described as extreme violence ... it’s violence, on your behalf, that simply impresses as gratuitous," Judge Robinson said.
felicity.dear@odt.co.nz , Court reporter
