In December, Louie Buskin, 23, was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment after he admitted injuring by unlawful act and disorderly behaviour.
But ‘‘given the time of year’’ and the defendant’s lack of prior convictions, Judge David Robinson deferred the start date of the sentence for 60 days.
If the defendant found a suitable address in that timeframe, the judge indicated he would replace the sentence with home detention and community work.
Yesterday, when Buskin appeared in the Dunedin District Court, his proposed address raised ‘‘red flags’’ for the judge, which meant he could not sentence the defendant to home detention there.
At sentencing, the court heard that on August 24, 2024, Buskin and the victim were drinking at a pub in Blenheim.
Buskin approached the victim and his friends and began antagonising them, causing a scuffle between the pair.
The defendant was removed from the bar by staff, but reached over the railing to grab the victim’s jug of beer.
The victim climbed over and a fight broke out.
Buskin swung the jug into the victim’s face, knocking him unconscious, before climbing on to the roof of the establishment to evade security.
The victim was left with a fractured skull, a brain bleed and permanent loss of hearing.
In a statement to the court, the victim said his life had been on hold for months.
He had been off work while he struggled with the physical and mental recovery since the assault.
Yesterday, Buskin was locked up to serve the original sentence of nine months’ imprisonment until he could find an appropriate address.
Judge Robinson encouraged him to think about the harm he did to the victim.
‘‘I’m hoping that you can use the time to reflect ... and think about the consequences of your offending,’’ the judge said.
