Christopher James Alexander (27) was sentenced to nine months’ home detention when he appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday.
Should he appear again on violence charges, he would be looking at a lengthy stint behind bars, Judge Jim Large said.
Alexander was walking north in Thames St, Oamaru, in the early hours of April 10 last year, when he crossed paths with two Dunedin men who were visiting the town.
The defendant challenged a 31-year-old to a fight and a 10-minute altercation ensued.
"There was pushing and pulling, and holding on to one another," said the judge.
Midway through the brawl, Alexander pulled out a hunting knife with a 10cm blade and used it to stab the victim three times.
The man sustained two wounds to the underside of his left arm and one to his left side near his ribcage.
Six weeks later, Alexander was seen carrying a black bag by police in Redruth St in Timaru; he dropped the bag and fled the scene.
Officers caught up with him and the luggage, and found a knife, amphetamines and cannabis oil in his possession.
The whole thing was a "set up", Alexander said.
Crown prosecutor Nadine Girgis noted the defendant had previous convictions for weapons.
In 2019, he had a heated argument with his ex-partner and threw a knife at her as she bolted from the scene.
The Oamaru District Court heard how Alexander then picked up an axe and chased her with it while delivering a tirade of verbal abuse.
He was sentenced to community detention and supervision on that occasion.
Judge Large stressed the seriousness of the most recent crimes.
"Knives kill people," he said.
Counsel Sarah Saunderson-Warner told the court her client previously had the stability of employment, marriage and children but that equilibrium was upset in 2019, when he suffered the death of two close family members.
Alexander was convicted of wounding with intent to injure, possessing a knife and three drugs charges.
