A man who stabbed two people after a scuffle in the street in Christchurch in July last year was sentenced to seven years' jail today.
"Knives in the community, carried in these situations are an absolute plague," Judge Raoul Neave told Terrence Boyd in Christchurch District Court.
Boyd, 41, had stabbed a man in the chest and a 13-year-old girl in her forearm.
He was sentenced on two charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and one charge of possession of an offensive weapon. He had pleaded guilty just before the start of his jury trial.
Judge Neave said Boyd took exception to the way some of his friends were being dealt with at a gathering.
There was some pushing and shoving, then he grabbed a young girl and pushed her against a car where she received a knife wound in the forearm.
A man went towards him and he plunged the knife into his right upper chest before running off.
Defence counsel Tony Garrett said Boyd had a sensible and responsible focus on his family, and that his age and maturity were keys to reducing his offending.
He said it was an instinctive reaction to use the knife on both complainants, and alcohol played a part in this offence.
Both the complainants were known to Boyd, which didn't help explain it, but the presence of the knife was not an uncommon occurrence, he said.
Judge Neave said this was the fifth time Boyd had been before the court on offensive weapons charges, and he had a long list of previous offences.
He said alcohol and drug addiction were at the root of Boyd's problems.
He sentenced Boyd to seven years in prison, telling him if he had a genuine desire to address his issues the answer lay in his own hands.
