Wanaka chef found guilty of attempted murder

A High Court jury has found a Wanaka chef guilty of attempting to murder Wanaka father-of-two Kahu Vincent during an unprovoked assault last year.

Ahu Stanley Taylor stood impassively in the dock at the High Court room in Invercargill as the verdict was delivered this afternoon. The jury had deliberated for just over four hours.

Taylor (39) and a co-offender, Leon Rowles, assaulted Mr Vincent in the Wanaka Night 'n Day store early on May 9. Mr Vincent suffered a serious brain in jury and almost died.

Taylor denied attempting to murder Mr Vincent but pleaded guilty to an alternate charge of wounding him with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Yesterday he told the court the assault was "gutless" and he expected to go to jail for it, but he did not intend to kill his victim.

Justice Nicholas Davidson remanded Taylor in custody to appear for sentencing on March 3. He will only be sentenced on the attempted murder charge.

In August, Rowles was sentenced to eight years' jail for causing grievous bodily harm to Mr Vincent.

 

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