Shaun Michael Hartstone, 25, appeared before the High Court at Dunedin this morning after pleading guilty to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, resisting police and threatening to kill.
A charge of attempted murder was dropped by the Crown.
A dispute between Hartstone and the victim began on April 9, when the defendant discovered his Honda trail bike, which had been stored in the 54-year-old victim’s Concord garage, had been stolen.
Believing the victim and another man were responsible, the defendant turned up to the address a few days later and began shooting fireworks at the garage.
The court heard the victim later found a window of his van was smashed and there were two broken arrows inside.
Less than 24 hours later, Hartstone took things a step further, showing up in his Ford ute with at least one passenger.
He had with him a “Siege 300” compound crossbow capable of firing an arrow at 300 feet per second, which he had previously used for hunting.
When the victim heard Hartstone arrive, he armed himself with an axe and emerged from the garage with an associate.
Crown prosecutor Craig Power said, given the background, it was understandable the man sought to protect himself.
He told police he was 2m from the ute when he heard the defendant say “you f...... deserve it, you f...... c....”, before there was a sound “like the pinging of a rope”.
Though it was deep inside the man’s abdomen, doctors discovered it was embedded in fatty tissue and, after its removal, he was discharged the same afternoon and sent home with paracetamol.
Hartstone fled to Oamaru with his partner and the police’s armed offenders squad found him after executing a search warrant on April 25.
After being placed under arrest, the court heard the defendant thrashed around and was taken to the ground by two officers so he could be handcuffed.
Hartstone told one sergeant: “When I get out, I’m going to find your house and shoot you”.
At the Oamaru property where the defendant was holed up, police found the crossbow, arrows and fireworks.
When interviewed by police, Hartstone admitted he wanted to shoot the man but claimed it was a friend who had fired the crossbow.
He said the victim had stolen his motorcycle and charged him $2000 for its return. Hartstone alleged he had his money stolen, had been kidnapped and beaten.
“The c... deserved to go in the ground,” Hartstone told police.
The judge stressed it was a highly premeditated, vigilante attack on the victim.
In the days before the crime, Hartstone had told an associate: “I’m going to get him back, I’m going to shoot him.”
“You clearly decided to take the law into your own hands,” Justice Dunningham said.
Counsel Sarah Saunderson-Warner said her client’s childhood was tumultuous, attending various schools and spending time in state care.
He had diagnosed mental-health issues and had struggled holding down employment or sustaining long-term relationships, she said.
The judge said the defendant’s decision not to take his prescribed medication was a voluntary choice and clearly led to his “volatile behaviour”.
The court heard Hartstone had three recent convictions for assaulting police and two for threatening behaviour.
He was sentenced today to six years five months’ imprisonment.
