Kyle Justin Thornicroft, 28, appeared in the Dunedin District Court last week where he was jailed for two years and four months.
Counsel Deborah Henderson urged Judge Emma Smith to ignore her client’s tattoos — including multiple swastikas and a Nazi eagle logo on his forehead — and said he was "working towards becoming a productive member of society".
The judge noted seven pages of criminal convictions featuring serious violence and property offences which had led to Thornicroft being locked up repeatedly.
His most recent stint behind bars came for domestic violence, threats, a weapons charge and failure to attend court.
Thornicroft’s release conditions dictated he had to report to Probation to assist his rehabilitation and reintegration back into society.
But Judge Smith said the man had been verbally abusive to his Probation officer and said he would rather go back to jail than maintain contact with them.
On February 27 last year, Thornicroft sealed another trip to prison.
The victim had come to a house to buy methamphetamine.
Thornicroft, the court heard, had nothing to do with the drug deal, but formed the mistaken belief the man had supplied his sister with the class-A substance in exchange for sexual acts.
"It remains somewhat unclear what happened next," the judge said.
The defendant punched the victim in the face several times, one of the blows splitting the man’s cheek and leaving him scarred.
The wound was thought to have been caused by a ring Thornicroft was wearing.
The man who had sold the victim the meth restrained him while the defendant — armed with a knife — rifled through his pockets, taking his drugs, cellphone, bank card, car keys and up to $50 cash.
Thornicroft said he would return the keys and phone if the man did not go to police.
The victim agreed but immediately reported the crime.
In a statement, he told the court he believed Thornicroft was going to kill him.
Crown prosecutor Richard Smith accepted the defendant’s upbringing had significantly influenced his life’s course.
Both his parents were well known to police, the court heard.
Judge Smith called Thornicroft’s background "woeful" and said it had likely resulted in addiction issues he had consistently failed to shake.
