A former Te Kāika youth-justice staffer who attacked a teenager while on his way to work has failed to dodge a conviction.

Allan McKenzie Haua, 35, appeared in the Dunedin District Court this afternoon after admitting a charge of assault with intent to injure and making a false statement to police.

A discharge without conviction application was filed by the defendant on the basis that a black mark on his previously clean criminal record would have an unduly negative effect on his job prospects.

But Judge Emma Parsons refused the application, ruling the potential consequences did not outweigh the gravity of the crimes.

The court heard the defendant lost his job at the multi-million-dollar health and social-service provider following the October incident.

In 2023, Te Kāika was awarded a contract by Oranga Tamariki for more than $1m to run a four-bed youth-remand home in Abbotsford’s Will St but the operation was shut down in March last year after 11 allegations of abuse were raised with the government agency.

Seven of those claims were later substantiated after an investigation.

A broader Oranga Tamariki assessment of the charity’s operation at Will St was “ongoing”, a spokeswoman told the Otago Daily Times.

Court documents noted Haua knew his victim through his employment and was walking to work on October 26 when he encountered the boy, who was riding a moped.

The teen drove past the defendant then looped back, approaching him from the rear.

He verbally abused Haua, using a racial and sexual slur, which the judge described as “highly derogatory and unacceptable”.

“Very particular and offensive words to provoke a reaction,” counsel Liam Collins argued.

The boy raised the visor on his helmet to reveal his identity and the defendant gave chase.

The victim tried to accelerate away but Haua grabbed him by the hood of his jersey and pulled him to the ground.

While straddling the teenager, he delivered up to 15 punches to the head and body, then stomped on him “with significant force”.

The court heard it was Haua who called police, claiming he was the one that was assaulted.

He even signed a formal written statement to that effect but when police obtained CCTV footage of the incident, the truth was exposed.

Haua later told officers he had “panicked” and was unsure why he had lied.

The victim suffered grazes to his legs and head, and a swollen right elbow, a police summary said.

Mr Collins told the court Haua had unsuccessfully applied for 20 jobs since the charges were laid.

The defendant would not work with youth in future and was seeking a position in the trades.

While he waited, Haua had been volunteering his time to work with disabled men, the court heard.

Judge Parsons noted he had a glowing reference from those endeavours and had also completed a stopping-violence course.

However, she said the challenges Haua would face in finding employment were a “natural and normal” consequence of his convictions.

The defendant was sentenced to 40 hours’ community work and ordered to pay the victim $80.