Prison sentence follows acts of violence

A Balclutha  man has been sent to prison for a slew of crimes committed earlier this year, including threatening with an axe police officers who came to his house after he spat on his neighbour’s visitor.

Phillip Wiremu James MacMillan (39) was jailed for one year and five months for his offending over several dates in June and July this year.

Counsel Alan de Jager said his client’s offending happened during a period of time when MacMillan has an ‘‘escalated drug problem’’.

MacMillan had earlier pleaded guilty to two charges of common assault, possessing an offensive weapon, threatening language and resisting police.

On June 19, MacMillan was standing on his driveway at his house in Kaitangata when he began swearing at two women who had arrived to visit his neighbour.

He followed the women and continued to yell at them before spitting in one of the victim’s face and ‘‘chest bumping’’ her.

Fifteen minutes later, when the two women, were leaving, he again yelled at them before spitting again. This time the spittle landed in the victim’s mouth.

Judge Kevin Phillips said MacMillan accused the women of being at fault for the Christchurch mosque shootings.

When the police visited two days later in relation to the spitting scene, MacMillan refused to leave his house and the police declared he was under arrest.

He then gestured to police through a glass door with a large stick.

Police told him he was under arrest again but MacMillan went and found an axe and wielded it in an aggressive manner at police on the other side of the door.

MacMillan also pleaded guilty to punching his father in the face on July 4 in an argument after he turned off the internet.

Then on July 9, when his father was driving him to Balclutha and while ranting about his belongings and the police, MacMillan threatened his father with more violence.

His father called the police and MacMillan was later arrested in the New World car park in Balclutha.

He resisted arrest and it took three officers to contain him.

jacob.mcsweeny@odt.co.nz

 

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